


Start at the Beginning to Get to the End

by FireThatFox



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-18 03:44:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21771205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox
Summary: “To get to the end you must start at the beginning,” Tsunade told her.“You are the only one who can do this, let me say that again, you are the only one I can trust to do this correctly, not royally fuck it up and come home safely.”  Tsunade clarified.“Shisou, I understand. I will not fail you.”  Sakura bowed to her mentor, Hokage, and friend.“I will be honest with you, I am not sure how this will work.  I have written a message to any Hokage of the time with information from their personal journals as proof you are who you say you are.  I have sealed each scroll in blood with my Senju Crest.  If you travel to the future I have scrolls for that too.  I do not know if your existence will continue in a straight line or if something you do in the past will make people in the future forget you.  I have tried to cover every scenario but in the end Sakura, you only have your excellent chakra control, your wit and your heart.  I am very proud of you.”  Tsunade hugged her.“When do I leave?”  Sakura asked her.“Now.”
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura & Namikaze Minato, Haruno Sakura & Nohara Rin, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Obito, Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Namikaze Minato, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Obito
Comments: 36
Kudos: 250





	1. Chapter 1

“To get to the end you must start at the beginning.” Tsunade told her.

“You are the only one who can do this, let me say that again, you are the only one I can trust to do this correctly , not royaly fuck it up and come home saefly.” Tsunade clarified.

“Shisou, I understand. I will not fail you.” Sakura bowed to her mentor, Hokage and friend.

“I will be honest with you, I am not sure how this will work. I have written a message to any Hokage of the time with information from their personal journals as proof you are who you say you are. I have sealed each scroll in blood with my Senju Crest. If you travel to the future I have scrolls for that too. I do not know if your existence will continue in a straight line or if something you do in the past will make people in the future forget you. I have tried to cover every scenario but in the end Sakura, you only have your excellent chakra control, your wit and your heart. I am very proud of you.” Tsunade hugged her.

“When do I leave?” Sakura asked her.

“Now.”

“I’m ready Shisou.” Sakura bowed .

“That’s my girl.” and handed her the forbidden time travel scroll so she could go back before the Uchiha massacre and save them all.

Sakura had practiced the hand signs and read the scroll countless times and even written a small journal of wants and what ifs. She was as prepared as she can possibly be. Thinking ahead and remembering every silly book on time travel she had read for fun as a kid she has studiously packed two storage scrolls with anything she might need in the past from this time.

She took a deep breath, smiled one last time at her Shisou and made the hand signs at the same time she released her seal on her forehead. A wave of chakra, a flash and she was gone into the past.

Tsunade Senju, The 5th Hokage stood there for a moment and sighed. “I really need a drink.” She walked to the door of her office and stepped through closing the door behind her in search of a cup and a bottle.


	2. Chapter 2

Rain fell down on her soaking her clothes and her bag that she still had slung across her body thank goodness. Her seal was throbbing she smiled ruefully. It was still there though useable if she needed it and she would eventually when she had to travel through time again. Her shisou told her it lessened the effects of the time travel and showed her how to use it popping into the past for a few minutes at a time her present figure evaporating then reappearing it was very unsettling.

She sat up straightening her clothes and looked around. She was supposed to be in a wooded area that hadn’t changed in the last 2 generations and it appeared to be true since she didn’t see anyone around. Her head hurt a little but she thought she was okay elsewise. With a little chakra to her hand she eased her pained head and stood up. She had to be cautious, pay attention to detail and think ahead…..far ahead.

On that note, she closed her eyes and concentrated her chakra into little strings that stretched out around her catching in the wind flying in all directions. Sensory. She couldn’t sense anything so she bent to her bag pulled out one of her storage scrolls and took out a sandwich. Her tummy rumbled in anticipation and someone laughed behind her.

Sakura spun around, dropped her sandwich and grabbed two kunai with one hand drawn back to throw in a twitch of her wrist if need be. A boy. He stood on a sturdy tree branch several feet above her head smiling at her.

“Naruto?” fell out of her mouth before she could think.

\-----Of course it isn’t Naruto you moron, we are almost two generation in the past, Tsunade should have sent someone smarter, you suck. The boy saw us and you called him a name from the future, obviously...he must die now.-----

Shit, she muttered to herself as the boy jumped down a few paces away from her. They just stood there looking at one another. She hadn’t moved or let down her guard and he didn’t come any closer. They just stood there...looking at one another for a few minutes. Sakura takes in the boys' clothes, hair, stance and wait...is this Minato?

“How old are you?” She asks him with more force than she had meant but she was damned curious. Was this Naruto’s dad? Wow they really did look alike, though there was a lot of Kushina in Naruto now that she saw Minato up close as a child.

“Old enough to know you aren’t from Konoha even if you headband says you are. I don’t recognize you.” Minato replies.

“Maybe you’ve just never met me.” 

“I would remember you. Pinky.” He smiles, so much like Naruto she resisted the urge to smile back at him.

“You’re a snotty little thing aren’t you.”

He doesn’t respond, he just looks at her with those blue eyes and waits. So unlike Naruto. Clever boy. He watches and waits. She has to admit she is not disappointed. The history books can’t all be right she thinks but they were right about him. Minato was smart and observant. She puts her kunai away in one fluid motion and stands straight.

“I mean no harm.” She smiles a little.

“Kunai are not your only weapons.” He glances at her hands. “I am not assured.”

Sakura can’t hold it in, she laughs, loudly and with unabandoned glee. He is just too much! What a delight.

Minato cocks his head at her a bit as if not understanding why she laughed but he smiles at her again none the less. It is such a sweet smile, very disarming in itself. What a heartbreaker she thinks.

“I am heading into Konoha, if you find me suspicious why don’t you come with me?” She knows he will follow her either by her side or in the trees if she invited him or not. A boy who looks at strangers like he is looking at her won’t just walk away.

He nods once and turns to walk to Konoha leaving her behind. 

“Hey, I could kill you, you shouldn’t turn your back on an unknown person.”

Before she can finish her sentence he is behind her with a kunai to her lower back over her kidney. Yes, the history books told the truth about this one. He was amazing.

“I see your point.” She smiles at him and he smiles back lowering his arm to his side again.

As they approach the gates of Konoha she thinks it may be wise to pull the scroll out of her bag for the Hokage. She doesn’t want a bunch of Anbu watching her while she does it in front of him or worse they insist on doing it for her. She stops and sets her bag down, Minato stops beside her, she pulls out her storage scroll and makes the hand sign and grabs the scroll for the Hokage and puts the storage scroll back in her bag.

“For Hokage Sama.” She smiles.

“You know him? You address him as if you knew him, you did not give him the title “The” showing familiarity.”

“I know him.”

She walks up to the gate to check in, Minato beside her.

“I am Sakura, here to see Lord Third at my Master’s request. I have a scroll proving my claim for Hokage Sama that I must give to him personally.” She did not recognize the guards of course, Izumo and Kotetsu weren’t born yet, or were they? How old are they? She didn’t know and it didn’t really matter.

“Anbu will escort you.” The guard nods to an Anbu in a dog mask that appeared before them.

Sakura bows to the Anbu. “Thank you Anbu San.” They nod.

Minato continues to follow her and her Anbu escort to the Hokage’s tower. Sakura can’t help but look around at all the things that are different and all the things that are the same. As they pass the Uchiha compound she steals a worried look inside the semi open gates. There are people in the compound streets milling around and her step falters for just a moment. It is almost shocking to see all the Uchiha when she comes from a time where there are none.

Her Anbu escort did not seem to notice but she is sure that Minato had. Sakura was thankful that she was in this time, for the first time travel part of her mission. If she had come face to face with say her old sensei Kakashi, she wasn't sure i she would be able to remain straight faced. She had already made the ridiculous mistake of calling Minato, Naruto.

The Hokage Tower was almost the same as it was in her own time, it had been rebuilt after Pein’s attack of course but it was made in the same fashion. Yamato being a wood style user like the Lord First. She smiled as they climbed the stairs and looked over at Minato watchingher smile a curious look on his little face. The Anbu led her to the office and knocked for her. Minato took a small seat in the hallway obviously he was going to wait to see what happened. She smiled at him when they heard Lord Third bid them enter and he waved to her. What a little cutie.

“Good Morning.” Saratobi Hiruzen sat behind the Hokage’s desk looking much younger than she had ever seen him. He lacked the hunched nature she had been used to seeing him, his hair was not white but brown, thick and healthy, he looked about 33 years old give or take a year. It was really good to see him.

“It is so good to see you in such good health Hokage Sama. It means a lot for me to see you so well.” Her voice did crack then, a very small difference but noticeable to both the Anbu and the Hokage. The Hokage smiled but the Anbu must have taken it as a threat and stepped to her with a kunai aimed to press to her throat in case she meant to attack the Hokage but she saw it coming and without thinning lunged forward took it from them and pressed it lightly to the back of their now bent over neck from behind.

“I meant him no harm Anbu San. It was a statement of truth laced with relief finding him in good health. I have not seen him for a very long time.” She said quietly releasing the surprised Anbu and dropping the kunai to the floor as a show of good faith.

“So fast, like a flash of light.” Lord Third smiled at her waving the Anbu away.

“My apologies Hokage Sama. I have a scroll for you. May I approach your desk?” She bowed her head politely showing her neck.

“Please do.” He held his hand out in front of him, palm open which she placed the scroll from Tsunade into and stepped back.

“A blood seal, of a Senju?” He unsealed and opened the scroll. His eyes grew wide, he looked up at Sakura once or twice during the duration it took for him to finish reading the scroll. Blinking twice he told the Anbu to leave, who hesitated glancing at her, then bowed to the Hokage and left.

“Tsunade becomes the 5th Hokage, does she still have a volatile temper?” The hokage smiles at Sakura.

“Shisou does very much still have her temper but is better at reigning it in at political functions that she used to I hear.” Sakura smiles at him. “She is still here in the village?”

“She is, yes. This is a very difficult mission that she asks of you, putting you in your own village with people who are alive during your time. You must be exceptional to have her trust. Where to start, I need to test your abilities. Tsunade has listed an impressive collection but I would like to see for myself. She suggests I send you on missions with some Uchiha, that it is important for you to be familiar with them currently and them to trust you. She doesn’t tell me why due to the fact that knowing too much of the future can have dire consequences on the future, which I understand but I insist you tell me why you are here as I am the Hokage and she is not in this time, the time you are currently in.”

It was not said with malice or contempt, it was an honest and expected command. Shisou had expected it and had left it up to Sakura how to explain her involvement here.

“In 21 years the Uchiha attempt a coup to overthrow you and take power in Konoha. They are manipulated, misled, lied to and it ends in a massacre of the clan. Only two survived and they are both dead in my time. The Uchiha are no more. I am here to stop the main figures that lead to this masacre so the bloodline does not die out. It was a pointless selfish act that almost crippled the village in our time twice and should never have happened and could have been easily prevented. I am here to prevent it by learning as much as I can to fill in the small remaining gaps, gain uchiha trust so they can not be swayed in the future. I am to influence the leaders of this time and their youth to go against a coup in the first place stressing loyalty to Konoha and the village as a whole. I am a non Uchiha that has been entrusted to make them trust me and see that they can trust others. My teammate and best friend was the youngest and the last of their line. I know their ways, their mannerisms and much more about their sharingan than any other outsider in history because I am a medic nin and have studied it many times first hand.”

She hesitates to add.” There is a war in the future, one that none can imagine, with a Goddess. Without the uchiha we were slaughtered almost beyond repair and he was only one Uchiha. If I fail Hokage Sama, it will be the end of Konoha. In My time, we are still trying to survive and I do not know if we will.”

“That is a lot to take in Sakura San. I understand. I am sure I will have more questions but for now, I believe in you and will help you. You know me, in the future, don't you?”

“Yes Hokage Sama.” She tried. She didn’t want to but tears fell freely from her eyes and she wipes them away willing them to stop.

“I will not ask you what happened but thank you. For you to cry for me, to feel so much , thank you.” He is touched by this gesture more than he can say. He is surprised and a little more than curious but knows he should not ask, does not need to know how he dies. 

“Someone is still waiting for you outside of my office, he can show you to your quarters.” The hokage hands her a small purse. “Till you get a few missions under your belt. Meet me at Training ground 5 in three hours and we will test your abilities then.”

The Hokage rises from his desk and smiles at her, “Shall we put Minato’s curiosity out of its misery?” He laughs just like she remembers and she tears up again.

“Hokage Sama, if I may. You are a hero a great Hokage and we will always remember you saved us all.” She bows low to him saying the things she couldn’t say that rainy day of his funeral where he and so many others died for the village.

Hiruzen places his hand upon her head and bows, “Thank you Sakura.”

As expected Minato is still on the small bench waiting for her as curious as ever. He stands as the Hokage and Sakura walked up to him.

“Minato, I see you have made a new friend today. Sakura is a special kunoichi who takes secretive missions, often roaming the village in a henge. Clever as evr my boy but not to worry she is an old friend and I hope you will watch over her for me while she is here. Would you please show her to the VIP apartments on the other side of the market by the Uchiha compound?”

Minato bows to the Hokage, “Of course Hokage Sama.”

“Thank you Hokage Sama.” Sakura bows and her and Minato walk toward the other side of the market together.

Minato and Sakura walk in silence most of the way to the apartments. She is lost in thought and apparently he was too because when they get to the apartment meant for her use he pauses and turns to her smiling again.

“I know you are not who you say you are but I also know Lord Third would not have let you leave his office if you were a threat. This is your temporary home.” 

“My name is Sakura. I am everything I said I was but there is much more to me than you can see. Clever Minato. Now how do I open this door, Lord Third didn’t give me a key.” She asked him looking at the door and around it.

“Flare your chakra.” 

Sakura, curious, did and the door clicked open. “Wow, that’s really neat! How cool!” She was surprised that this wasn’t around in her own time, maybe she could figure out how it works and replicate it when she got home.

“It is a common lock for new or visiting shinobi.” Minato gave her a calculated look.

She walked past him pushing the door open and was surprised to see such a large area for her use. It was an open floor plan, futon on the far wall, a window on the right, the kitchen to the left and in the back corner a small bathroom with a stand up shower, if she could see through the crack in the partially closed door correctly. There were common dishes for her use in the cupboard, an empty fridge, towels and washcloths, simple, everyday things. She would have to buy some things but a lot of what she needed, she had already brought with her.

Minato seemed to be rather interested, maybe he had never been inside one she mused. She made her way out to a small balcony facing the Uchiha compound, ah so this s why. She could see into their main courtyard where there were little food stands and small shops. It was like a small village in a village. One or two Uchiha stopped what they were doing to look at her, she made eye contact and inclined her head, they didn’t react only kept walking or turning away. Uchihas’ she thought.

“You shouldn’t let your chakra leak out like that. People will notice and think it odd. That is how I found you in the forest. It is like a beacon calling to anyone who is curious.”

“I hadn’t realized, I broke my seal, maybe it got damaged, I’ll have to heal it.” She said absentmindedly.

“Seal?” Minato asks.

She taps the seal on her forehead and his eyes go wide. Not like she can hide it, he would have noticed eventually, he was very observant. Sakura throws her bag in her closet and grabs the purse tying it to her belt. Sealing the closet with several protection jutsu she turns to Minato.

“I need to buy a few things from the market and I have to meet Hokage Sama in three hours for him to evaluate my skills. I need to get going if I want to get something to eat too. Thank you for escorting me to the village and to my apartment Minato.” She smiles at him and ruffles his already spiky hair.

“You did your protection seals one handed. Your chakra leaks, can you not contain it? Do you have so much chakra that is over flows?” 

She could tell her was fascinated. She wasn’t sure how to explain it to him. When she had used her seal to travel through time she had wanted to use as little as possible so she had sealed it back as soon as she had “landed” but she still had her full capacity, she would need to expel her chakra before it evened out.

“I have a decent amount but because of my seal when my regular reservoir is full it doesn’t seal all the way. I have to constantly use it, for now till it evens out.”

“You aren’t saying everything. It is ok, I think you are a good person.” He smiled at her again and gave her a little bow. “ I will be at the training ground 5 to watch you later.” Instead of using the door he climbed out her window and left. She laughed and made her way to the market.


	3. Chapter 3

There were fewer shops in the market she noted but many more people. A few people looked at her, it was the pink hair she thought, but most just went about their business ignoring her. Ah her seal, Minato had told her that her chakra was leaking. Making Her way to a bench she sat down and pressed a chakra infused finger to her seal closing her eyes. She opened her eyes to find a youngman standing before her. His eyes were dark, his hair was dark, his clothes were dark and he had a very suspicious look on his face, directed at her. He was an Uchiha.

“It is rude to stare at people you know.” She raised an eyebrow at him. Years of trailing after Sasuke had taught her a direct approach to Uchiha was best. They respected power and strength, two things she never used to be but she was definitely now.

“What did you just do, your finger, and your chakra, it is...unusual.” He made no introduction, no explanation...so very like an Uchiha.

Sakura didn’t answer him right away, she knew it would both irritate and intrigue him, and right now, she wanted to do both. He stood there, his eyes raking over her kunoichi clothes, headband, green eyes, pulsating chakra and waited, shifting from one foot to the other in impatience.

“Good afternoon Uchiha San, you lack in manners but I will forgive you.” Always act as if you are better than them, at least to start. It makes them hate you but want to know more at the same time.

“Will you answer my question in your forgiveness?” The unknown Uchiha smiles now, charming.

She inclines her head with grace and smiles back at him, patting the empty space on the bench beside her. He hesitates for a moment but lowers himself down and looks at her again.

“I was healing my Strength of a Hundred Seal, I had to use it recently and was unable to heal it till now.”

“Strength of a Hundred Seal, like Tsunade Senju?” His eyes widened and he looked at her with...respect.

“The very same though I have yet to meet her here. I am told she is a very accomplished young woman for her age.”

“She is dangerous, with a terribly unlady like temper who drinks and gambles too much for a woman of 24 years, but yes she is very accomplished. I have never met another with the seal, I did not think there was anyone else. Mito Uzumaki has a similar seal but it was not the Strength of a Hundred Seal, like yours, like Tsunades. Who are you?” The suspicious look returns to his face.  
“Sakura, I am from the Leaf, though it has been many years since I have been back. Long term missions and all that.” She waved her hand in the air dismissing the topic of why she wasn’t familiar to him. “I have just recently come back but you know this don’t you Anbu San?”

The Uchiha stiffened, “You knew.” He smiled then surprising her. She had expected him to scowl like Sasuke or to look at her blankly like Itachi may have. “Remarkable, you really threw me for a loop in the Hokage’s office, you were so fast. I didn’t have time to activate my sharingan you were so quick. It is, impressive.”

Again she waved her hand dismissing the compliment. “Training, that is all, it is nothing. I am nothing special there are many more talented shinobi in the village that far out shine me and my meger skills.”

“A humble liar no doubt.” He smiled at her again. ‘I am Koji, Koji Uchiha, please forgive my rudeness. I will see you at the training grounds in a couple of hours, I look forward to our spar. We will see how much more there is to you then, I won’t be holding back.” He stood then smiling at her. His smile was a challenge she was more than willing to accept.

Her own smile graced her lips as she stood and stuck her hand out to him, “It’s a deal then, I won’t be holding back either. I hope that training ground 5 is expendable because there will be nothing left when we are done.” They shake hands and she walks away toward the food vendors she saw on her way through the market.

“Such an odd kunoichi, don’t you think Minato?” Koji looks up to the tree above the bench he was sitting on. “A little too old for you though don’t you think?” He jeers playfully at the ten year old.

“In age but not in skill. Try not to die when you face her.” Minato hops down from the tree and wanders into the market after Sakura.

“She is out of your league boy, give it ten years or so.” Koji laughs and walks away.

Sakura looked at her box of Dango smiling and biting her lip, it looked so damn good she was almost drooling. She picked up a stick and took a bite, oh my gosh she thought, I could die now and be happy. It was so yummy! She sighed as she chewed making soft humming noises of pleasure. Someone laughed at her from a tree.

“Are you a monkey or something? “ She laughed as Minato dropped down in front of her smiling shyly.

“Sorry, I just was curious and followed you. Do you always make such noises when you eat?” He grinned at her amused.

“Do you always sit in trees and watch people eat?’ She countered playfully.

“No, not usually.” He looked at her, “You’re different though, the way you spoke to the Uchiha, you are not scared of fighting him, a sharingan user? He won’t hold back, he will try to humiliate you, put you in your place.”

She smiled grimly, she knew that already. “I know, I have known an Uchiha or two in my life. I understand why he approached me. I’m ready. I am more than I look remember?” She stretched her arms out in front of her linking her fingers together and cracked her knuckles. “He doesn’t scare me one bit.”

‘You got your hands all sticky now.” Minato pointed to the dango syrup on her fingers, now smeared across her other hand.

Sakura shrugged and took another stick of dango offering the last one to Minato which he accepted with a bob of his little head. They ate their dango together under the tree not speaking for a time just chewing and thinking. She was thinking of her upcoming match and evaluation for she knew now Lord Third had wanted her tested to her limits bringing an Uchiha into it. Minato thinking of how nice this new person was and how mysterious. 

He was very curious about her and wanted to know more. He could tell she was a very skilled kunoichi so far and admittedly was very anxious to see her match against the Anbu Uchiha. What he wondered most though was how she had appeared out of nowhere in the woods. He had been sitting in a tree reading and then a wave of chakra exploded and she fell, literally from the sky and landed in the woods beside his tree. She had not been traveling by any means he was used to or knew about. Her odd behavior, her chakra, her speech even...was off.

“I need to get going, I have a few things to buy still and need to change before my match and evaluation. Stop following me, I will see you again soon enough.” On impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him on the head.

Minato blushed as he watched her walk away back down the path that took her back to the village. He didn’t follow her, but sat under the tree and watched the clouds, her kiss still warm on his forehead, a smile on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

The question was, what to wear. Something form fitting but comfortable that left her movement free and had plenty of pockets for her blades and senbon. Chakra wires, he wouldn’t be expecting those, it was an Uchiha favorite. She was going for surprise. Her regular abilities would definitely come as a surprise but were not new. Tsunade was alive and in the village afterall, so once her monstrous strength was revealed, he would know how to counter it. She knew she would be fighting an Uchiha but there may be others. She would have to plan for anything. 

Most of her skills were close range combat but she did have some genjutsu and long range attacks. Sasuke had helped her with her fireball jutsu, that might help with a non Uchiha but not against an Uchiha, she wasn't very good at it. She sighed as she dressed, she would have to rely on her Earth Style and her Water Style. 

After her Shisou told her she had taught her everything she knew Sakura had kept training, looking for more to learn to help the village. Her shisou being the Hokage allowed her access to the Anbu library and the Hokage’s private records. She had spent hours reading jutsu scroll after jutsu scroll learning about the Second Hokage’s jutsu, the Fourth’s and then training hours on end perfecting them. It had been bitter work but she was now a Master of Both Earth and Water style with a bit of Lightning and Fire mixed in.

A loose wrap black kimono top with short sleeves, white obi, black capri pants and small heeled knee high boots completed her ensemble. She slid several kunai into her obi, twisted her hair up into a bun with two poison dipped senbon, one antidote senbon and tied a bow sash around her waist concealing her chakra wire and two flash bombs. She was ready.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear that fell from her bun she made the final protection seal on her closet where she kept the time travel scroll and her two storage scrolls. Grabbing her medic pack and running out the door, she left to meet the Hokage and whatever evaluation he had in store for her.

She teleported to the training field she knew to be training ground 5. She hadn’t meant to make such a dramatic entrance but she had been running late. The Hokage smiled at her when she appeared but the two men beside him frowned. 

“Teleportation, my Sensei would be proud. What other techniques of Lord Second do you hide behind that pink hair Sakura?” Lord Third teased her.

“None that are anything but beneficial to the village Lord Third.” She bowed low.

“Well said my dear, shall we begin? Koji, please test her genjutsu strength against your Sharingan, Sakura, you may use any technique or weapon you deem worthy.”

Sakura smiled at Koji as they stepped forward to face one another in the middle of the field. She knew Minato was nearby somewhere and hoped he was as skilled as she thought to evade any explosive attacks. They bowed to one another and made the hand sign for a friendly spar.

Sakura closed her eyes and sent her chakra out in thin strings sensing his intent before he moved. Jumping high in the air avoiding a fireball she spun, threw and kicked a kunai that whizzed past his face grazing his cheek, then two senbon to his left arm and right leg. He fell before her feet touched back onto the ground. Her intent was to immobilize him quickly to save an unnecessary display of her skill, but enough to satisfy the Hokage.

Koji tried to move but his leg and arm wouldn’t work, pain shot through his blood filling his system, did she, was that a poison that attacked his chakra? Koji looked up at her as she dropped by his side. “ Conceed .”

“I concede Sakura.” He said loud enough for all to hear.

The hokage came forward and looked down at Koji, “A poison?”

“It will not harm him Hokage Sama, it attacks the targets chakra draining them within the limits of their reserves, but does not empty them. It is non reversible and he will be weak for the next two days but he will recover in time.”

“I have never heard of such a poison.” Lord Third looked at her questioningly.

“It is...of my own invention Hokage Sama.” Sakura said.

“Impressive.” He said waving the other man forward, “This is Sakumo Hatake, The White Fang of Konoha.”

Sakura’s face went almost comically blank and she took a step back from Sakumo. He looked very much like his son, her sensei of her time, Kakashi. A look of concern came over The Hokage’s face.

“Sakura, are you alright?” He asked her.

She shook her head to right herself and stepped back up and stood straight.

“Yes Lord Third, please forgive me. I thought I had seen a ghost. Your reputation is well known, please forgive my rudeness.” She bowed to Sakumo who was looking at her with a thoughtful expression, she recognized it as one of Kakashi’s that he made when he found something interesting.

“You flatter me, we have not met though, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” He put his hand out to her and she shook it, he held it for a moment too long and she felt chakra flow tentatively into her palm and she laughed.

“You flatter me Hatake San, shall we begin?” She grinned at him.

They walked to the middle of the training ground and her mind tried to bring up everything she knew of the man from Kakashi. Does he know Chidori? No, Kakashi invented that. White Light Chakra Saber, she recalled and planted her feet waiting for his attack.

\-----Let him come to us, let’s show the father what his son’s student can do!-----

He was so fast. Her eyes went wide and her face split into a grin as she barely dodged his first attack, teleported to the side to avoid his second and blocked his third with a flip backward catching his arm with her feet pulling him toward her chakra infused fist. He dodged and her fist hit the ground exploding and crushing it into dust. She jumped up into the air doing her hand signs with both hands for a fireball jutsu and he cut through it with his White Light Chakra Saber.

“Amazing.” She complimented him.

“I was thinking the same thing.’ He did a two eyed eye crinkle and it took her by surprise his sword made contact slashing through her arm.

He immediately jumped back and stood blade relaxed at his side.

“I’m sorry, I was sure you would evade, please accept my apologies Sakura Hime.” He said without any sarcasm.

Sakura was crouching with her arm to her chest in pain. Flooding healing chakra to her hand she slowly ran it over the wound healing it back to new and stood. “Hime?” 

Everyone looked on in awe at her healing prowess. Sakumo recovered from his surprise first. 

“Only a Hime could move as gracefully deadly as you, you who’s hair is pink like the Sakura tree petals for which you are named. Such an advantage, those healing hands of yours. You can attack, evade and heal...truly formidable...Hime.”

She stood there dumbfounded. The son was not like the father. She would never imagine Kakashi to say such a thing to her ever, of course she had been his student and it was inappropriate but...how flattering and poetic. She blushed.

“I think I have seen enough. I am impressed Sakura, your skills are as refine as I had expected.. I will contact you in a few days for your first mission, until then your time is your own. Thank you for coming.” Lord Third said and turned to leave.

“Thank you Lord Third.” She said and bowed. He waved a hand to her as he walked back to the tower.

Bending over to adjust her boots she heard a small cough and turned to find a wide eyed Minato looking at her.

“Hey kid, knew you were somewhere nearby.” She smiled at him

Minato opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted.

“Hime, thank you for the spar. I would like to spar with you again but perhaps I could take you to dinner tonight and ask you how you mastered the Second Hokage’s teleportation technique and any others you may know?” Sakumo Hatake smiled at her. He had such a nice smile, he really was very handsome and looked just like his son, or rather his son looked just like him. When she got back she would make Kakashi retire his mask if she could.

“I’m sorry Hatake San, but I fear I have no time for social dates. I mean you no offense but my time must be directed elsewhere.” She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner and turned to Minato.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be kid?” She hit his shoulder lightly in a teasing gesture. They were hardly strangers now after all. He grinned up at her and shook his head.

“I want a rematch.” Koji had walked to where they were talking and nearly blurted it out. “I mean, I wasn’t prepared, you surprised me.”

“Surprised an Anbu and an Uchiha. I don’t want to push my luck today, thank you but perhaps some other time.” She smiled and turned away.

“Who are you? You are not what you seem to be.” Koji was looking at her through those narrowed Uchiha eyes again.

“Damn Uchihas always so suspicious. I am who I say, you don’t need to know anything else about me for now.” Sakura took her remaining senbon out of her hair and tossed it to him, her hair falling down in shining waves.

“The reversal clove, it will not completely take away the effects but it will help hasten your recovery. A gift, to quell your animosity.” She did walk away then and didn’t look back. If she had she would have seen Sakumo’s smirk and Koji’s annoyance.

“You take pleasure in irritating Uchiha.” Minato said almost bouncing at her side as she walked away from the training grounds. It wasn’t a question.

She smiled at him, “Maybe a little.” and they laughed together.

“You declined Hatake Sama’s date invitation, why? He is one of the most impressive men in the shinobi world right now, he is almost a legend in his own time. Why would you not want to get to know such a worthy man?” Minato asked her very confused. Hatake Sama was like a role model for him, he respected him greatly and didn’t understand why this woman didn’t seem as impressed with him as he was. If she was , surely she would have agreed to have dinner with him.

She thought about her answer for a moment and started off slowly, “He reminds me of someone, someone I am very close too, from my ...past. He is talented and very admirable but,” She paused here again, “ but he is too close to someone who is, was very close to me and I can not bare to be around him just now. I need to contrate on what I am doing.”

“What are you doing then?” Minato asked her. 

“Trying to get stronger.” She said vaguely. He knew she was lying.

Minato walked back to her apartment with her. She had said Hatake Sama was close to someone who was close to her from her past, then she had said he is close to someone who is close to her. Her past tense and present tense changed, as though she were mixing up two different time tables. Minato was clever and observant, her words did not fall on blind ears. Was his conclusion correct? He needed more information, he didn’t jump to conclusions.

__________________

Her little book she had brought with her lay open on the blanket in front of her. She was in the forest a little ways outside of the walls of Konoha village propper on a blanket by a waterfall hidden in the cliffs that extended into the forest. It was her favorite spot as a child. Her and Ino would come here and swim and dream of the day they would marry Sasuke Uchiha. She was thinking of him now. She needed to find a way to get the Uchiha to trust her to see her as a friend. She knew she couldn’t just walk up to them and offer them her friendship that was ridiculous!

Sasuke had always ignored her, thinking she was weak. He only ever paid any attention to her once she had been apprenticed to Tsunade, had held her own in the war, had tried to kill him. He had told her he loved her as he died in her arms. Only at the end, when it was too late, did he finally return her feelings. Well, she had stopped loving him in that silly infatuated way that she had as a child but she did love him. It was just a different kind of love.

“Sasuke, I will never forget you, and maybe, after all this is over, we can be together.” She said to herself and closed her book rolling over to look at the water as it cascaded down from the cliff to land in a pool beside her. Mist blew over her from the falls and dampened her skin, cooling her in the sun’s heat as it dried almost instantly.

Minato watched her from his tree on the same side of the falls as her. He hadn’t followed her here, he was already there when she walked into view and spread her blanket out. This was one of his favorite places to read. He wondered who Sasuke was, and where he was if she cared about him so much. Minato wondered if this Sasuke person was the reason she was here now, back in Konoha. She was a sensory type but she never sensed him and it made him smile.

He watched as she stood putting her hand written book away, he wondered what she wrote in it, and walked to the edge of the water. She bent over and washed her face then stood with her eyes closed focusing her chakra into her arms and legs. He leaned out of his tree to get a better look and she disappeared! He spotted her at the top of the waterfall a moment later as she jumped off the edge and flew down the side of the cliff twirling and flipping and throwing kunai out in all directions.

Thunk, thunk, thunk...thunk….thunk thunk thunk.

Water splashed as she fell in a straight line down to the bottom of the pool and swam back up, her head breaking the surface, pink hair flying as she leapt onto the bank.

Wow.

His little ten year old eyes had never seen anything so beautiful.

_____________

The next year had passed quickly. Sakura had gained the trust of a few respected Uchiha after saving their lives on several Anbu missions. The Lord Third had decided to title her a special unit combat doctor much like Tsunade but unlike Tsunade she remained in Konoha till she was called out to a location where she was needed. She could teleport and get there faster than anyone already out in the field. Her objective was to cultivate trust between her and the Uchiha and for that she was needed in the village hospital, to be seen around the market and in the Hokage’s office.

Minato had continued to follow Sakura around the village when he wasn’t training or on missions of his own. His interest in her abilities and in her person worried her a bit but seemed innocent enough and he never voiced his opinion of her existence to her once. They became good friends and spent much time together. She found him every bit as clever and intelligent as history told , a charming distraction to her difficult mission. He came to know and understand her better and grew to respect her above all others.

The time came late that year for Sakura to move on to the next step of her mission. She made a greater imprint on the Uchiha by denying a marriage proposal from Koji who had grown to both love and respect her in the year she had been a part of their lives. Koji being loved and respected by his Uchiha community was vocally disappointed and it was the talk of much gossip for a very long time in Konoha. She would be remembered.

Sakura and Sarutobi decided it was best to say she had gone on another extended mission to explain her long absence when she told him it was time for her to move on to the next part of her mission. She told him she looked forward to seeing him again in 4 years though it would be a few hours for her, 4 years would pass for him. Her mission would be written that she went to infiltrate and live with a suspect rebelling group of missing nin as a spy long term, to determine their part in the war and any future threats they may pose to Konoha or the surrounding villages.

Minato was greatly distressed by the news she was leaving for such a long time and promised to be there when she returned, secretly planning on tracking her, to keep tabs on her and make sure she was safe. Over the last year Minato had grown so quickly in skill he was already almost a legend in the village if not a genius and prodigy at the young age of 11.

She packed all of her belongings and double checked her apartment before she left. It was funny, she thought, she would be back in less than an hour maybe two? It would be four years here though. She smiled and shook her head, picked up her bag and walked out of her door. She had made it to the forest before she realized he was there. She never was able to sense him and knew she had sensed him now only because he had let her.

“Minato, you need to stop following me, I will be going far and be gone for many years.” She sighed, this was bad. She had to convince him to leave, she needed to get going and he couldn’t see her disappear.

“I can walk with you, at least till the next village. I’m going to miss you. I want to see you off.” He shifted his feet a bit and smiled up at her sheepishly.

Sakura sighed. She had to use the scroll inside of Konoha borders, she didn’t know how much would change in the surrounding area and wanted to make sure she didn’t pop out of time in front of an enemy. They hadn’t much experience to go off of but her Shisou thought that it may take more time each time she traveled through time to recuperate. She had told Lord Third where she had planned to reappear in 4 years just in case, but he was the only one who needed to know. Minato definitely did not.

She didn’t want to do this to him but it was imperative she get away from him, he could not see what she was up to. He might be 11 years old but he was far too talented for her to give him any sort of warning. She hugged him close and whispered goodbye in his ear, then sent a surge of chakra to his neck and knocked him out, leaping up into the trees suppressing her chakra as best she could, then teleporting away.

Minato woke ten minutes later and rubbed his neck where she had used her chakra to knock him out. He smiled. He had done it. She was quick, but he had been quicker. He had felt the rise of her chakra and knew she was planning something. When she had pulled him in for a hug he had applied his, Jutsu-shiki, to the back of her neck. Now wherever she went, he would find her. 

He tried to flash to her then but couldn’t. His jutsu-shiki had never failed, it was new yes but it had never failed not once since he perfected it. He knew that his theory was correct. This proved it. She was a time traveler. He could wait four years. She was worth it.


	5. Chapter 5

She hit the ground hard. It hurt. She lay there gasping, her breath had been knocked out of her.

“Welcome back Sakura.” The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before her.

“Hokage Sama, good to see you again, seems like only an hour ago I last spoke to you.” She tried to stand but fell back down so she sat there for a moment.

“It has been four years for everyone else. Are you alright?” He asked reaching out to give her a hand.

Sakura took his hand with a smile. “I am fine Hokage Sama. It was a bit of a rough landing I suppose the terrain changed a bit. I was standing when I left but fell when I arrived.”

“You look exactly the same. I do not know how often or how many times you plan to travel to finish your mission but, how will you explain the fact that you never age? Mission are easy enough of an excuse for your absence but you look the same age , you are the same age as before, people will notice. You don’t exactly blend in.” He smiles at her.

“Like my Shisou, I can change my age from young to old, when the time comes and it is imperative, I will do so. I think 4 years though, I am safe. Perhaps the next time, it will be required. How is Konoha, what have I missed?” She slings her bag more comfortably over her shoulder.

The Hokage and Sakura make their way back to Konoha, the Hokage’s Anbu noticeably absent.

“Koji Uchiha has married. He gave up on you coming back before your 4 year mission was up and found a very nice Uchiha girl to marry. They are expecting their first child any day now. Sakumo has a son now he is 4 years old, Kakashi, and Minato has been harassing me non stop as of two weeks ago asking when you are coming back. I have never seen him excited about anything before or more interested.” The Hokage gave her a pointed look.

“I tried to distance myself from him but he is too clever for his own good. I can’t sense him either, he...surprises me. I will be more careful and try harder this time to put more distance between us. Kakashi is 4 years old? He is my sensei in my time, or former sensei as I have grown older and am a jounin myself but, it will be interesting to see him as a 4 year old. I will have to be more careful this time. Thank you for meeting me Hokage Sama. Am I still in the same apartment?” She asked as they neared the gates.

“Yes, I thought it only fitting since you will need to be by the Uchiha district, I assume you are still working on preventing the massacre? Is there anything else you will be working on this…visit?”

“My mission is the same. It will not change for another ten years, which is when I will return for the third time. I predict I will be here for 3 years but it may change. I may have to come back in 7 years instead of ten depending on how this visit goes. There are so many factors I need to take into account.” She frowns deep in thought as the gates of Konoha come into view.

“I said it when we first met, this is not an easy mission, Tsunade has put great faith in you, I know you can do it. I will help you, again, come to me if you need anything my dear.”

“Thank you Hokage Sama.” Sakura smiled then, frown gone as they nodded to the guards and entered Konoha.

_____________

Sakura stood in the living room of the apartment she had left hours ago in her memory, and threw her bag on a couch that hadn’t been there before. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. The mission was going to keep getting more and more difficult as time went on and if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t looking forward to it. Her travel forward from the past had been more taxing on her than the first time, which meant it would continue to be so each time she traveled. Her head hurt and she felt drained. On the bright side her seal was fully functional, no leaking chakra like last time and no need to heal it.

The Lord Thirds warning about Minato worried her. She knew they had bonded and gotten close in the last year they had spent together as friends and she knew it would be hard to put distance between them this time too, but she had to. She couldn’t let him get any closer, she would be here for a few years this time she predicted, it would only make her mission more difficult and possibly destroy the future she was trying so desperately to create.

In three years Team Minato would be created. Obito would be presumed dead 4 years after that, should she kill Obito or just take his eyes? Tsunade and her had discussed this many times, going back and forth. Tsunade decided that Sakura would be here, or there, and that she should use her best judgement. Sakura knew the future, knew what Obito would turn into, what he would do. Did she kill him now or take his eyes, either decision would prevent both Minato’s death from sealing the Nine Tails and the return of Madara Uchiha, not to mention save hundreds of thousands of lives. But would killing him too soon change the future too much? Her head hurt. She would lie down and rest for a moment.

This was important, she couldn’t fail. “Shisou, I promise.” She said to herself. “Sasuke, I promise, I’ll save them, I’ll save you.” and she fell asleep with him in her mind, thinking of all the good things that will , would happen for him, for her if, when she completes her mission.

___________

Minato was running back to Konoha with his team when he sensed her. “Sensei! I have to go, I’m sorry. Lord Third knows why, ask him when you turn in our mission report!” Minato used his, jutsu-shiki, and disappeared.

15 year old Minato stared at the woman he had been thinking of non stop for the last 4 years. She was more beautiful than he had remembered. His heart had stopped when he had felt her chakra, he had gotten in the habit or searching for her chakra every ten minutes for the last three weeks anticipating her return. Never in his short life had he been so grateful for his jutsu-shiki, than he was right now. Had she always been so beautiful? He had been 11 years old the last time he had seen her, she hadn’t aged a bit. It had only been four years but she looked exactly as he remembered her.

Minato had spent the last 4 years researching rare and forbidden jutsu, looking for anything he could find on time travel jutsu. He did not ask for help, he knew it would raise suspicion, and he didn’t want anyone to know that he either knew, suspected or was looking into it. He had found in the old archives of the Uzumaki there was once a time travel scroll, said to contain several different time travel seals, used by the ancient Uzumaki, but it didn’t give any information where the scroll had gone or where it might be.

It had been an accident that he was able to find even that small amount of information about time travel jutsu. He and Kushina had been going through a storage scroll of things her family had passed down to her and it had been in a pile of old tattered scrolls she was going to look through later. She had told him they were off limits to him because they were clan scrolls and she wasn’t allowed to show him. He had smiled and not pressed the point casually helping her dust off, throw away and organize her other things but had put his jutsu-shiki, on the lip of one of the scrolls when she had gone to the bathroom. Later that week, when he knew she would be out of Konoha on amission he had teleported back to her room and read the scrolls.

______________

Minato knew now, Sakura was a time traveler. Everything she had said and done when she had been in Konoha before made sense to him now. She fell out of the sky, comments she made, how she dressed even, some phrases she liked to use, she was from the future. He didn’t know how far into the future, but he was sure that the Hokage did. He also knew, he didn’t want her to leave again. He had only been ten but he was 15 now soon to be 16, and as he watched her sleep he knew, there could be no one else he would ever admire more than her.

Sakura twitched in her sleep and made a small noise of protest, “Sasuke, please...please.” She whispered in her sleep. She was dreaming of the night Sasuke had left the village to join Orochimaru, the night she had begged him to stay. “I love you Sasuke, please...don’t leave me.” She begged him in her dream, she whispered while she slept.

Minato frowned. That name, the same as before when she was by the waterfall. She had been writing in her book and said, “Sasuke, I will never forget you, and maybe, after all this is over, we can be together.” Who was this Sasuke he thought for the second time. He had left her? He did not return her love? Was he insane? Minato could not imagine anyone not returning her love if she chose to give it to them. So much better for me though he thought. I will love you, he thought, maybe you will love me back one day.

She had turned her head and her hair had fallen over her face. He kneeled down beside the couch. Minato lifted his hand and brushed her hair away, he wanted to look at her more. Her hair was so soft and shiny, he fingered the strands and lifted the locks to his nose to smell her. Flowers, like her name. Beautiful. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him...and slapped him across the face.

“Minato!” She jumped up off the couch she had been sleeping on.

“What the hell are you doing here in my apartment and what the hell were you doing?”

“I’m sorry, I was just so excited to see you, I just, I’m sorry.” He had his hands in front of him as if to protect himself from her wraith. “I missed you.” he added lamely.

Her eyes were wide and she was in a fighting stance but relaxed as he continued to talk.

“I sensed your chakra and came to see you, but you were asleep and I didn’t mean to wake you, your hair, it fell over your face and I didn’t want it to tickle your nose, so I moved it, and you woke up and slapped me.” Crap, he thought, he had teleported into her home, he had been so excited that she was back after 4 years that he didn’t think. He always thought, he was known for thinking things through, being level headed and making good decisions but when it came to her, his body reacted without his mind and well, this was the result.

She looked him over as he talked, trying to talk his way out of getting slapped again. He looked less like Naruto now than when he had been younger. He still had those blue eyes, that blonde hair but he was older now, 16 she thought. By shinobi standards he was a man. A very handsome man she thought.

\-----Don’t even fucking think about it bitch, remember stuck up hole in the ass Sasuke? Thought you loved him?-----

“So, you see, it was an accident Sakura.” He smiled that smile at her. It had changed a bit. It wasn’t a boyish smile anymore it was...very charming and distracting.

“How old are you?’ He asked her.

“What?” She had been distracted.

“How old are you Sakura?’ He said again.

“17” She said and then….shit. There is no way she would be 17 if 4 years had passed, no genetics make you age that well. She had to be more careful around him.

“We are almost the same age now.” He said smiling at her again. 17? Impossible, unless she is a time traveler. That was a grave mistake, she shouldn’t have told him that. Did he fluster her that much? He smiled at her again and she looked away. He did. It made him happy to know he had an effect on her, he would use that to his advantage.

‘I made chunin while you were gone and jounin. You were gone for 4 years. I missed you Sakura. How did your mission go?” He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her and it made her a bit nervous. They had to get out of her apartment, it was too intimate.

“I need to go to the market. I’m hungry and I need to get some supplies, want to join me and we can catch up ? Just let me throw my stuff in the closet first.” She walked to the closet after he nodded his agreement, and put her things inside. She tried to use the closet door to block his view as she removed the two storage scrolls from her bag and placed a genjutsu over them making them into a pair of socks. She dumped most of her other things out into the bottom of the closet but kept her handwritten book and a few other things in it as she slung it across her body.

“Ready.” She smiled at him and they left her apartment together.

She told him about her fake mission saying that there had been a falling out over leadership and she had left, she may or may not return depending on what came from the falling out. This gave her a good reason to leave again whenever she needed to travel through time again. He had made little comment with her story and didn’t seem too interested in it, which she thought odd for such a curious mind. She didn’t complain though, less questions meant less lies. Sakura hated the lying but it had to be done. She couldn’t tell him she was from the future to change the past after all that was just...well crazy, not to mention he wouldn’t believe her.

\-----Unless he already knows, he is The fourth Hokage-----

They stopped at a cute little lunch shop and she ordered tempura while he ordered fried dumplings. He sat beside her at the bar while they waited for their food. It was nice to see him again but she had to keep him at a distance this time, she had to make sure he didn’t get too attached to her, or her to him. She had never realized how handsome the fourth Hokage was.

\-----You mean Naruto’s dad, you best friends dad? That’s who you mean right…Naruto's dad.-----

She sighed out loud.

“Are you okay Sakura, do you need to rest more? I’m sure the journey was very...stressful for you.” Minato reached out and took her hand, holding it in his.

She jerked her hand out of his grasp like it was on fire. “I’m fine.” She blushed and he smiled slowly...she was being tortured she knew it, that slow smile, his eyes...stop stop stop.

Their food came then and so did an unwanted guest.

“Minato , there you are, I wondered what lit a fire under your butt but now I see of course, hello there beautiful. I’m Jiraiya, I’m famous, wanna get a drink later?” Jiraiya winked at her as he looked her up and down.

Sakura laughed out loud and Jiraiya gave a surprised look then grinned at her. She had met him in the future of course but she had always been with Naruto or her Shisou and he hadn’t ever hit on her but this, it was absolutely hilarious, and she told him so.

“You’re absolutely hilarious! What a line!’ and she continued to laugh in his face, much to the amusement of Minato who was laughing quietly beside her.

“Hey, you don’t have to laugh at me like that. You are just so lovely I had to give it a try.” He winked at her again but she waved him off, she definitely wasn't interested in him.

“Not today old man .” She said and laughed again.

“I forgot how blunt you are. It is wonderful to be with you again Sakura. I really have missed you.” Minato was looking at her again, with those eyes, it made her uneasy.

“Sakura hum? What a beautiful name.” Jiraiya was going to try again.

Minato dropped some money on the counter, took Sakura’s hand and their plates and teleported them to the waterfall, his favorite spot in Konoha.

“Jutsu-shiki” Sakura said without thinking...again.

\-----Idiot-----

“You know it?” Minato looked at her surprised. He hadn’t told her he had been working on it last time she had been in Konoha and to his knowledge he and the second Hokage were the only ones who could do it...yet.

“I, I have heard of it, second Hokage’s jutsu, I admired him greatly and studied a lot of his techniques.”

“How? They are sealed in the Hokage archives.”

“How did you learn it then?” She asked.

“Mine is slightly different, I wanted to learn it but didn’t have access to his archives. I mastered my own by trial and error.’

“I didn’t say I learned it, only that I studied his techniques, not by reading his archives.” She corrected.

“I understand.” He said looking at her with a small smile handing her the rest of her tempura from the shop. He sat down by the bank of the waterfall pool and took a bite of his dumplings. She stood there for a moment and realized she had been staring and immediately dropped down beside him. She had been frowning into her tempura and hadn’t noticed him smiling at her again, this time with a knowing sort of smile.

“Sakura, if you tell me something. I will believe you.” His statement was simple but his meaning was not. She knew he was not an idiot. She wasn’t an idiot. She had suspected he knew more than he let her know last time they had met but he hadn’t said anything so neither did she. He was older now though, bolder, more...aware. How could she avoid this, she didn’t see anyway around this. Crap, what could she do.

“I don’t like lying.” She blurted out. “Don’t ask me what I can’t tell you...about anything.” She knew he knew, but she would not admit it out loud. Would it affect her mission? He would understand if he knew, how much did he know though?

“If you tell me something, let it be the truth, if I ask you something you can not answer, don’t answer, but don’t lie.” It was almost a command. She almost forgot what a powerful shinobi he was sitting by the waterfall eating with him. He was so humble, so easy to talk to, it took you off guard.

“I will.” She said not looking at him.

He took her plate from her hands and set it on the ground beside them. She turned to look at him, to ask what he was doing when he leaned forward and kissed her, taking her hands in his he pressed his mouth over hers and ran his tongue over her lips asking for permission. She bolted to her feet and started backing away from him, her hands out in front of her waving them back and forth like an idiot.

“Minato, no, we can’t, no, I’m sorry. Can’t, so many reasons, I’m sorry.” and she teleported away, leaving him with her tempura and his dumplings by the waterfall.

He could have followed her, she had his jutsu-shiki on her neck, but he didn’t. She had said there were so many reasons, what reasons? She knew things he didn’t of course being from the future. She had called him Naruto when they had first met. Did she know a relative of his in the future? Was it because of this relative that she was nervous of a relationship with him, or was it because she was a time traveler and would leave to go stay in a future that didn’t contain him? She had so many reasons but he had so many questions.


	6. Chapter 6

Sakura sat on her couch in her apartment. She had to focus. She had to concentrate on her mission. She had to stop Minato, she could not allow him to continue to grow more attached to her. She would avoid him, try to put more distance between them. No more messing around, she had a mission to complete, a very important one. She reached into her bag and drew out her notebook going over her notes.

There hadn’t been a pause in between the second and the third shinobi war, where were they now, they were in between. Kakashi was four years old, Sakumo would die in two years. Minato would form his team in two or three years she tries to think. A mental list formulates in her head. Kill Obito or not, gain Uchiha trust or reestablish bonds of trust from four years ago, Shisui should be about two years old now, Itachi hadn't been born yet, keep up with her training. She knew her list would either change, be added to or things set aside for later. It was a decent plan though. She made a few more marks in her book and set it down on her coffee table.

Sakura needed to blow off some steam but she didn’t want to be seen. She put her book in her closet where it would be safe and headed for the Hokage’s Tower. She would ask for permission to use the Anbu training field. She had started to train herself in the Flying Thunder God Technique before she had left her time, but had yet to master it. She was not going to ask Minato for help for obvious reasons but thought it would be useful for her mission, so she wanted to master it as soon as she could.

The Hokage agreed with her, that training outside of the Anbu training grounds was a bad idea so he gave her a mask and clearance to all levels of the Anbu facility. She had done Anbu missions in her own time and had admitted to the Hokage she mostly had done assassinations. He had been impressed.

Putting her mask on she teleported to the doors of the Anbu building and entered. She found Anbu clothes in the locker room, changed and headed to a training field she remembered from her past. It was smaller than the one she remembered from the future but it would do. She wanted to be alone and no one was there.

Sakura stood in the middle of the field, mask in place, tags marked with her formula in hand and concentrated her chakra into the tags. Throwing her arm out she sent the tags flying across the field to land in sporadic positions while she linked her chakra to the tags. Her body flickered once then twice, she stumbled. Repositioning herself she tried to push everything from her mind and focus on her chakra in the tags, her body flickered and she felt like she was being pulled in multiple directions. Frowning she tried to figure out what she was doing wrong.

Was she trying to move in too many directions at once? Focus on one tag at a time. Deep breath, okay she told herself, one tag, focus on one at a time. She moved. She opened her eyes, she did it! Okay again a different tag, focus...bam! She did it! Sakura spent the next hour focusing and flashing back and forth over and over till she could do it without thinking or focusing on any specific tag. Her mind said go and she went to whichever tag she choose, the more she practiced the easier it got.

Now, she needed to test distance. It was important because while she was able to teleport and teleport well, there were limitations. With her formula in place, there were no limitations on how far she could flash to, only who or what level of mass she could take with her, but she would practice that later. She teleported back to her apartment, slapped her formula tag under her bed and teleported back to Anbu. She closed her eyes and bam...she was sitting on her bed.

Several hours later she sat in her apartment pleased with herself. She had flashed to hundreds of places all over Konoha, the market alleyways, the forests, the training grounds, the waterfall, the Hokage face cliffs, it was exhilarating. As she trained she had placed her formula tags all over Konoha, they would come in handy later.

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Minato was sitting in his tree by the waterfall when she had teleported and appeared by the pool of water at the base of the waterfall. He watched as she stuck a formula tag to a tree next to the one he was sitting in and watched her teleport away. He reached out his senses and knew she was at her apartment. Like a flash, she was in front of the formula tag back in front of him. She had mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. He had known she was talented but he had to admit, he was surprised. He sat in his tree no longer reading and closed his eyes. He could feel her flashing all over Konoha, to the forest, the market, the cliff and he smiled. She was a prodigy, just like him, they were so much alike.

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Sakura returned to the tower that evening per the Hokage’s request.

“How did your training go today Sakura?” Lord Third asked her.

“I have mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique.” She told him without arrogance.

“Impressive, perhaps you would like to use your new talent for a mission I have here?” He handed her a mission scroll.

“It would be my pleasure Lord Third.” She bowed and took the scroll from him, looking at the seal. Anbu, assasination. She opened the scroll in front of him, read it, nodded. “I will leave at once Lord Third and return no later than tomorrow morning.” and she flashed to the farthest forest of Konoha to the north, a few hours south of her target.

Minato looked out of his window, she was moving away from Konoha, did she have a mission? He flashed to the forest, then to the nearest village following her.  
Sakura dropped down from the wall she had been standing on looking out into the complex. It was an easy assasination, the leader of a low ranking missing nin gang and his right hand man. Her mission scroll said they were successful poison users but poses no real challenge. She understood why the Hokage thought her best suited for the task. She adjusted her mask on her face, it was a Wolverine,it suited her. Her hand went to her obi, she could feel the thin vials of common antidotes, she jumped down to another wall below her and then to a roof, she ran along the roof tops in the shadows of the waning moon.. Getting in hadn’t been hard, there had only been three look outs, pathetic.

Her target was said to be the big house on the right, near the center of the complex, isn’t it always she thought to herself. Pressed up against the side of the second story wall by the window to the presumed bedroom she listened. She could hear deep breathing of three people in the room, three? She sent her chakra out, three adults, low ranking nin. She swung soundlessly into the room and drew her katana she had borrowed from the Anbu armory. Three figures lay haphazardly on the bed. One male two females. This was a problem. She didn’t want to kill needlessly. 

Making her way out of the room she went down the dark hall to the other room and peeked inside, the other target. She sheathed her katana and walked over to the bed, leaning over him she jabbed him in the neck with a chakra fist and he fell unconscious without a sound. She cut his throat with a kunai and went back to the first room. 

It couldn’t be helped, she had to kill all three of them. Any screams would wake the rest of the complex and she would be forced to kill even more. In one fluid motion she drew her sword and cut the throats of the two women in one strike. The man sat up but fell almost instantly as she brought her sword back to its original position effectively cutting off his head. She swiped her blade through the air in a quick graceful arc flinging the dirty blood from its surface and resheathed it. 

Minato watched her jump from the second story window and flash home, he followed. 

She had reported to the Hokage less than 2 hours after receiving her mission scroll and he gave her another. She would leave in two days but for now she needed a shower.

So quick, so deadly, so beautiful he thought as he watched her through her window. He watched as she made the hand signs for the protection jutsu one handed, watched as she sealed her windows before he couldn’t see inside her apartment anymore. He could have broken the seals easily but he didn’t want anyone else looking at her the way he was. He left her and went back to his apartment, she would be leaving in two days and he planned on going with her, whether she knew it or not.

It had been another assasination mission S-ranked, a poison master, one she knew very well. Sasori of the Red Sand, a Chunin age 9 of Suna. It was six years before he would leave Suna and become a missing nin but he was no less dangerous for all that. It had been a hard fight, she had again fought for her life. This time she didn’t have the help of Lady Chiyo, she was older and more experienced than she had been when she fought and killed him last time.

“Have we met?” Sasori’s drawling voice came back to her as she lay in the grass of the forest.

“You seem to be familiar with my puppets but I do not know you.” He drew his hand back and poisoned needles flew at her, she dodged them ducked and threw some of her own, they missed at the last moment and he spun his puppet, lunging and encased her in the Iron Maiden.

“It seems that if you do know me you don’t know me that well.” He taunted, fingers ready to pull his puppet and slash her to bloody strips. “Shame really,” He continued to drawl, “You would have made a decent puppet with that monstrous strength of yours.”

A flash of yellow, the puppets chakra strings were cut, another flash Sasori was knocked to the ground a kunai in his side, flash, the puppet was in ruins, flash Minato had Sakura in his arms laying her on soft grass in the forest just inside of Konoha.

“Naruto?” She blinked dazedly up at him.

“Shhh, don’t talk Sakura, I think you have been poisoned.” Minato put his hand on her forehead. She was warm and getting warmer by the second.

“In my obi, the one marked with a scorpion, the vial. Naruto, that one please, don’t touch it to the others...contamination.” and she passed out her body limp.

Minato reached inside her obi and found the vial marked with the scorpion like she had said and took her face in his hand prying her mouth open and emptying the vial into it, rubbing her throat to make her swallow, waiting to make sure she didn’t choke. Her eyes fluttered a few times but she didn’t wake. He sat beside her, it had been too close, she would have died if he hadn’t been there. He stroked her face with his hand, so soft, so foolish, what had she been thinking? He had almost lost her.

What should he do, would her antidote be enough, should he take her to the hospital?

“Naruto, I’m sorry.” She moaned in her restless poisoned sleep, “I couldn’t save Sasuke, I could save them, any of them, I failed.”

Minato sat her up and moved behind her leaning her back against him with his back up against a tree, holding her in his arms. He pushed her hair to the side and kissed the back of her neck.

“Couldn’t save who Sakura? Who do you want to save?” He asked her in a whisper his breath on her ear.  
“Uchiha, my mission, Sasuke, Itachi, none of them, all my fault...Naruto , your dad he’s...I tried he, it’s so...I’m sorry.”

Minato held her thinking over what she was saying. It didn’t make much sense, he knew she was a time traveler from Konoha in the future, she had a mission, apparently to save Sasuke? and Itachi? She had called him Naruto before, who was he, what about, Naruto’s dad was it? He kissed the back of her neck again nuzzling his face against her hair.

“Sakura, tell me. You can talk to me, I want to help. How can I help you?” He hugged her with one arm around her and stroked her long pink hair with the other hand, pink strands of silver and silk running through his fingers in the moonlight.

“Your dad, Minato. I’m sorry Naruto. He is amazing and strong so talented like they said,like we all thought, can’t stop, all my fault, He is , we, he kissed me, mistake.” she was falling asleep again and her words trailed off.

Naruto is my son? She must be from two or one and a half generations in the future then, and knew his son? Who did he marry? Did he marry? What was his son to her, and who were the others she spoke of, who was Sauke to her. He shook her in his arms to rouse her a bit.

“Sakura, Who is Sasuke, who am I to you.” 

“Dead, he is dead. Sasuke…..I failed my mission and now, he will stay dead, never be with him lost, they will all be lost, nothing changes. Naruto, my friend, brother.” She mumbles.

She is , did she say Naruto is her brother so she is his daughter?

“You’re my sister? Naruto’s sister?” He asks her, he needs clarification.

She giggles a little, “Teammates, like family idiot.” her hand lifts slowly like it is too heavy and she tries to smack him but can’t, her hand drops by her side limp once more. Relief washes over him, so not his daughter. He chuckles to himself a little, that was almost...terrible. 

She had come back in time to change an event, to save this Sasuke, that much had been made clear to him. What else was she in the past to change?

“I’m going to take you home, to your apartment Sakura, don’t worry I’m here, I’ll take care of you, I promise.” He hugged her close and stands up teleporting to the door of her apartment, “Use your chakra signature Sakura to open your door.”

“Hmm.” Her chakra surges for a moment and her door opens. He walks in closing the door behind them with a shove of his foot and walks in, laying her on the bed.

“Thank you Naruto, always so...good...to me...idiot.” She smiles in her half aware state and snuggles into her pillow. She is so adorable, he thinks, sitting on the bed next to her. He looks around the room, he should leave, they are alone in her apartment and she is not herself. She is still poisoned though, what if it takes a turn for the worse, no one will be here to help her. He sits back down on the bed beside her and runs his fingers through her hair watching her breath in and out, her chest rising and falling softly, the fabric of her Anbu uniform tight against her chest.

He slowly unties the chest pad of her Anbu uniform, to make her more comfortable. Removes her wrist guards and shin guards. He pauses at her waist, she wears her obi but it isn’t to hold her clothes together like a kimono, it is for her poisons and antidotes right, he unties it and sets it aside , careful not to disturb the vials and wires she has tucked inside it. He turns it over in his hands about to place it on the growing pile of discarded clothing when he sees her formula tags. He picks one up and scans it with his eyes, it is so similar to his, to the second Hokages, it is amazing, he looks at her again lying peacefully on her bed, she is really something rare.

Minato folds the formula up and puts it in his pocket, placing the obi on the pile of clothes, leaving her in her black Anbu pants and short sleeved shirt. He wants to ask her more questions, find out more information but his morals are holding him back. He doesn’t want to betray her trust but at the same time, if he hadn’t been there tonight to save her, she would have died.

“Saukra, darling, tell me, why else are you here” He shakes her gently to rouse her again, she is dozing off. She blinks at him, her eyes clouded and unfocused.

“Away Naru, sleep, go away. Secret you know, Shisou told me no one, not even you idiot.”

She keeps calling him an idiot, are her and his son that close or is he really an idiot? He laughs to himself, taking her hand in his he pulled her up and tucks himself behind her like in the forest so he can wrap his arms around her and hold her close to him. With his arms wrapped around her, her back to his chest, his head on her shoulder, he takes her hands in his and sets them on her lap breathing softly into her ear.

“I know why you’re here, you can tell me, I can help you. I saved you tonight remember, let me help you. You want to save Sasuke right, so do I, let’s save him together.” He knows it is wrong but he wants to help her, he needs to know and he can’t help himself.

Sakura leaned her head back and to the side exposing her neck unknowingly. “Came back in time you know, stop Obito, Nine Tails, Uchiha massacre, Sasuke and Itachi, poor Shisui. Bastard Danzo. Save Minato, reaper curse seal, have to save your dad Naruto, Minato so sweet as a boy, I met him Naruto, looked like you but not now, now he...he’s...sorry.”

“He’s what Sakura?” Minato pressed her, he wanted to know what she really thought of him, what she wouldn’t tell him in her conscious state.

“He is so handsome, and sweet...he cares, like you, you’re just like him, like that...but he...so handsome, hard to resist, kiss, he kissed me, so good. Save him, I’ll save him. I promise.”

Minato smiled, she thought he was handsome and liked it when he had kissed her, and she had a hard time resisting him? What did she have to save him from? Why would he use the Reaper Death Seal, he didn’t know it, or would he know it in the future and that is what she was saving him from? All he could think of was how she said she thought he was handsome and how he was hard for her to resist and that she had liked his kiss.

He bent his head to her neck and kissed her along the exposed skin, his arms wrapped tight around her holding her body to his. She was warm but the fever was ebbing, it would break soon. He had to hurry, she might regain awareness, and he didn’t know how long it would be before he could touch her freely again. He had to make this count. He ran his tongue over the lobe of her ear, she made a small humming noise in her throat and pressed back into him, his breath caught in his throat.

Repositioning her more to the side, he ran his finger tip over her lips drawing her bottom lip open just a little. So soft he murmured and lowered his head and kissed her, sucking on her bottom lip. She moved in his lap just, squirming in place then settling back into his body with a sigh. He groaned and kissed her again, running his tongue over her lips and into her mouth, so warm and wet, he held her closer and pressed his mouth to hers harder and she moaned out, louder this time, as he explored her sweet mouth, his hand running down her neck cupping a breast through her shirt. He could feel himself getting harder, he had to stop, he should leave. Her fever had dropped, he didn’t think she was in danger anymore. He drew back from her mouth, a string of saliva trailed between his lips and hers connecting them, and she moaned in protest at the absence of his mouth on hers. One more kiss he thought then I’ll leave.

She reached her hand up to his head as he leaned in for one more kiss and grasped his hair in her tiny hand pulling him closer, their mouths crashed together, her tongue forced its way into his mouth and he flipped her over, laying on top of he,r their hands in each others hair gripping and tugging, his hand up her shirt pinching her nipple and cupping her breast as they kissed deeper and deeper. Her moaning was getting louder and he was so hard it hurt, he had to stop, she wasn’t herself, he knew he should go. He cared about her, he didn’t want to have her like this. He went to pull away, to get off of her but she grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back on top of her.

“Minato, please.” She was begging him, he stilled his movements and looked down at her, did she, did she know it was him, did she want him like he wanted her. Her arms reached up around his neck and she tossed her head and whined a sensual low noise and he lowered himself back on top of her, she hummed in approval and he kissed her again pressing his hips into her, grinding his hardness into her heat.

“No. I can’t, not like this. When I have you, I want it to be real. I want you to know it is me inside of you, kissing you making love to you.” He kissed her one more long lingering kiss then rose up and moved off of her. Her whine of protest almost had him going back to her but he didn’t. He covered her with her blanket, kissed her forehead and teleported to the Hokage’s Tower. He sat on the platform on top of the tower for a few moments catching his breath, calming his nerves. She was so lovely, so beautiful and strong, so perfect.

“Out late this evening, aren’t you Minato?” Lord Third spoke at his side.

Minato rose to his feet and bowed to the Hokage.

“She can’t stay here you know, she will go back eventually. You will be important to the future, more so than you are now. Nothing can come of you two, you must let her go, she must finish her mission. Your feelings for her confuse her and will only get in her way. Think of her, she is a proud and talented woman, there is a lot weighing on her success. She will not forgive you if she fails her mission, because you let your emotions get in her way.”

“I could help her, like I did tonight. She would be dead now if I hadn’t been there.” Minato told the Hokage then what had happened, how she had been trapped, how she had been poisoned and he had given her the antidote with her instructions.

Sarutobi Haruzen rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. “I will think on it. I told her I would help her in anyway I could. Until then, do nothing. I don’t need to tell you to keep this to yourself, but make sure you do. It puts not just her in danger but all the future generations that will come after and before us.”

Minato bowed low and flashed home.

“Ah Minato, have you already changed the future because of love? Tsunade underestimates her students beauty but of course, she is also a woman.” The Third Hokage shook his head and walked back to his office.


	7. Chapter 7

Minato couldn’t be kept in the dark anymore than he could be kept from Sakura. The Lord Third knew that he would not be able to stop Minato from following after Sakura to ensure her safety and he knew that Minato knew about the details of her mission. There was no way around it. Minato would have to be made part of her mission, they would have to work together. Sakura was an addition, an unexpected addition so there would not be a loss to the ranks if he changed what missions she went on. Sarutobi sighed, he was getting too old for this, even at 38 years old, it seemed like this war had gone on forever, even though it had only been three years, there hadn’t been a pause in between the wars and the third shinobi war had just begun. Maybe with Minato and Sakura on the front line together they could end the war quickly.

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Lord Third had continued to send them on missions, sometimes together, sometimes with others but he saw he couldn’t keep Minato away from Sakura. In the end he decided Minato might help her with her mission if he knew all the details. Sometimes people can cause more trouble in the dark and sometimes the safest most efficient means , was to just tell them the truth. Minato was a genius and clever, he knew she was a time traveler, he could help her, help the village.

1 year later...Minato is now 17 and Sakura is 18...

“Minato, Sakura, thank you for coming. I have a proposal for you. I am putting you on the same missions. You will be a team as of today until Sakura’s current mission is over and it is time for her to move onto the next phase of her mission.” Lord Third looked at them.

“What do you mean Hokage Sama, we can’t be put on the same missions for reasons you are fully aware.” Sakura immediately started to protest. Minato standing silently at her side looking too pleased for her liking.

“What I mean is, Minato knows you are from the future, he knows you have not aged since he last saw you and knows that you have mastered the God of Thunder Technique and carries your formula on his person at all times. It will do more damage to your mission to keep him in the dark than it will to have him help you. I told you I would help you in anyway I can, and right now this is your best option. Now go, fill him in on everything.” He waved them away. “Oh, and Sakura, remember who you are talking to, it would be best to tell him everything. I don’t want to know for myself, but I think it will benefit your mission to have him know everything he can about the future.” He waved them off again smiling under his hat.

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“I care about you.” He told her.

“I know, you shouldn’t, not in that way, it’s complicated.”

“Tell me then, the Hokage told you to let me know everything, I can help you, I want to help you.” He reached for her hand and she pulled away and stood up.

“You don’t understand, you’re my best friend’s dad! In my time you aren’t alive but if you were you would be...old! I shouldn’t even be attracted to you, in my time, you’re a hero part of history, you save the entire village but you, you die in doing it and Naruto, your son, he grows up without his parents, without you and Kushina.”

“I marry Kushina? Kushina Uzumaki?” He says in disbelief, he had never thought of her that way. She was a little annoying and hyper. Sure he had saved her that one time but she had red hair. He preferred pink.

“Yes, and Naruto becomes the Nine tails jinchuriki when Obito disguised as Madara Uchiha releases the Nine tails on the Leaf, you use the reaper death seal and seal part of the nine tails chakra with yourself and you die, but before that you make Naruto into the new jinchuriki and Kushina dies, you are both impaled with the Nine tails claw! So you see, I am here to save you! And Kushina if I can! You can not have feelings for me, you have to love and marry Kushina and have my best friend!” She bursts into tears, “It is all my fault, I failed already and this is only the second time I have come through time and I messed it all up, Naruto, Sasuke, I failed them all, Shisou! My village!.” She is sobbing now on the ground in a ball hugging herself.

Minato falls down beside her taking her into his arms and rocks her. “How unfair, it was very unfair of them to put such a burden on one person’s shoulders. Let me help you. Together we can fix it, Let me help you Sakura, you can’t do this alone.”

“Don’t you get it, I already failed. You didn’t fall in love with Kushina because you love me. You forget, I know your son, he was in love with me since we were 6 years old and didn’t stop loving me till I practically beat him into the ground and told him for years that it was never going to happen!” She was screaming now.

“Can’t really blame him.” He mumbled. “Just because a few things change doesn’t mean you failed. Kushina and I might still fall in love and have Naruto or maybe I have Naruto with someone else.” He tries to smooth her hair from her face but she pushes him away.

‘But that is only part of it. Obito doesn’t unleash the Kyuubi for another ten years. I wanted to stop him before it even began, I wanted to save Obito for my sensei, Hatake Kakashi who is only 4 years old right now and whose dad kills himself in 2 years, by doing that I would save Rin. Kakashi he, he has suffered so much, I wanted to save him from it. I have to kill Orochimaru, he is a terrible evil that murders thousand and experiments on civilians and shinobi alike, he is a demon and must be stopped, I have to stop the Uchiha massacre by killing Danzo and telling Shisui who is only 2 years old right now to use his Kotoamatsukami, to convince all the Uchiha to stop with their coup to take over the Leaf, not to mention Itachi isn’t even born yet!”

“Sakumo kills himself?” Minato asks. She glares at him. “It is a lot to take in.”

“Tell me about it.” She scoots over to the pool and takes off her sandals and puts her feet in the water.

“Let me help you.” He sits next to her and does the same.

“I don’t even know where to start, I had a plan but you kinda messed it up.”

“Start at the beginning.” He smiles at her.

“Shisou said that to me right before I left, to come here.” She smiled at the water around her feet.

“Tsunade? So, you know what becomes of everyone, what all of us do, accomplish, who lives, who dies.” He looked into the water.

“Yes.” She sighs, “Who lives and who dies.”

“I know you don’t return my feelings, and now I understand why. I can help you though and now, I think I have even more reason to help you that before.” He still loved her, he still wanted her and he hadn’t given up yet, but right now more than anything he wanted to help her. He had meant what he said, he couldn’t believe someone would put that much pressure on one person, the fate of the world, their world, all on her shoulders. She was smart, strong, intelligent and driven but she was only one person and there were far too many factors to consider, it just wasn't fair and he seriously thought of giving Tsunade a piece of his mind except for the fact he knew she would have no idea what he was talking about.

Sakura nodded. “I could use some help I think but right now, I need a drink, let’s go.” She took his hand and flashed them back to her apartment. One of the things she had packed from her time, at her Shisou's suggestion was a bottle of fine sake.

“Are you a drinker Minato?” She eyed him warily, she knew she could drink him under the table but didn’t want to clean up barf either.

“I can keep up with you.” He said.

She doubted it but poured them both a large cup. “Tomorrow starts tomorrow but let’s forget about today.” He raised his cup and they clinked.

He was drunk and passed out before the bottle had been finished. She left him on her couch and went into the bathroom to run a bath. Steam rose around her as she sat on the edge of the tub, it was an old fashioned wood tub with a cover. When she had first been in the apartment she thought it was a wash tub. She laughed to herself remembering it and how silly she had felt when Minato laughed at her and showed her how to use it.

She turned the tap off and lowered herself into the hot water, sighing as it pooled around her flowing over her skin. She drank the rest of the sake from the bottle and set it down by the tub sinking her arms under the water at her sides and closed her eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, it was nice not to be alone. Her mission was hard, and it was frustrating, having someone else there was kinda nice, having the fourth Hokage, was reassuring. Her hope renewed she opened her eyes and thought about the other factors involved. 

Minato was a very attractive man, he was Naruto’s father and the fourth Hokage. What could he possibly see in her...No, she didn’t love Sasuke like she used to but she was still attracted to him and he died loving her, could she learn to love him again? He had been her dream for so long. She couldn’t think about that right now. Orochimaru, how old was he now and where was he? If Tsunade was 30, Orochimaru was 30 now too, which meant he was here in the Leaf. He had a secret lab here too then. 

In the morning she would tell Minato, they needed to kill Orochimaru and destroy his lab. How would he feel about that though, Orochimaru was a student of the Hokage, and shinobi of the village. Minato knew nothing of his future crimes his experiments. That was it. She needed to show him what Orochimaru was, show him his lab and all the terrible things he was currently doing and tell him of all the things he would do, including killing the Lord Third.

A plan, it was good to have a plan, she felt better already. Grabbing the towel she had set by the lid of the bath she stood and wrapped it around her body. Minato was still on the couch when she exited her bathroom so she walked over to her closet and found some sleeping clothes. She shook her left foot which was still wet, she had left a trail of small puddled foot prints from the bath to her closet and frowned, she should wipe this up. Grabbing her sleep clothes she tiptoed toward her bathroom quietly so she didn’t wake Minato, but instead she found herself by the couch looking down at him.

He really was a handsome man, so sweet, so gentle and he really did like her. If it wasn't for Naruto, for all the things she needed to do, her mission. She might return his feelings, she might kiss him and let him kiss her. She knelt down by his sleeping form and brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. So much like Naruto but so different. His jaw was firm and his mouth was sensual and sexy. She leaned in and touched her lips to his, just one kiss, he was asleep , he would never know.

As soon as her lips touched his, he shot off the couch and grabbed her, he was literally holding her up. She scrambled to right herself but her feet just kept slipping on the wet floor. He looked down at her, her hair was wet and clung to her skin, her shoulders still had a shiny dew on them, her eyes were big and green, her towel had fallen to the floor, he picked her up and set her on her feet and kissed her.

Sakura started to pull back but stopped when she felt his tongue slipped into her mouth, she moaned into his kiss. She should blame the sake, blame the stress but she didn’t, she kissed him back, running her tongue over his, pressing her naked body against him, it felt good to have someone, she hadn’t realized how lonely she had been.

He picked her up and carried her to her bed laying down beside her as he set her down on the covers. Minato smiled as she kissed his neck and ran her hands through his hair pulling him closer, running her hands down his chest until she found the end of his shirt, then running her hands back up his chest her nails scratching him lightly. She tugged on his shirt and he helped her get it up and over his head. He kissed her as she ran her hands over his chest digging in with her nails every few inches sending shivers down his spine. He undid his pants with one hand and pushed them down, kicking them off with underwear and pouch alike.

“Minato.” She breathed into his chest as her tongue caught a nipple in her lips.

“Sakura, are you, are you sure, you said before.’ She covered his mouth with hers and she nodded while she kissed him, “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” She said.

Minato ran his hands down the sides of her body as he lay on top of her kissing her gently, sliding off to the left he ran a finger over her inner thigh and she whined, that low little whine of pleasure he had heard from her the night she had been poisoned. This time it was different, she wanted him, she wasn’t poisoned, she had chosen to kiss him back, she wanted him to touch her to be in her.

“Do you want me Sakura? Tell me, do you want me to be inside of you?” he hummed over her lips , his finger gently slipping into her.

She arched against his hand gasping and nodding, kissing him hard. He moved his finger deeper and thumbed her pearl and she cried a small mewl for him and he took out the one finger and replaced it with two, she was so wet, he couldn’t wait any longer. 

“Sakura, I love you. I love you and I don’t want anyone else, just you.” He kissed her and slid back on top of her spreading her legs with his knee, sliding his head up and down the slit of her entrance, “Only you, forever in time.” and he slid into her, a gasp of pleasure escaping his lips, she cried out, he didn’t move, she whimpered once then stopped.

“Are you ok, I’m sorry, you, you were a virgin? It’s ok, I was too, it will pass right, do you want me to stop?” He thought she was a virgin but he hadn’t asked, he could hit himself for it but he had her in his arms at the moment and didn’t want to let her go. When she cried out in pain he had felt terrible, he should have been more gentle, all he could think about was, he had to be inside of her now, before she changed her mind.’ ``I love you Sakura.” She had been a virgin but now, she was his.

She cried, small sobs jolting her body. What had she done?

\-----You ruined everything, what about Naruto, he will never be born now because you couldn’t keep your hands off his dad! Minato won’t marry Kushina now, you know that, he was a virgin, you were a virgin, he will want to marry you. You fucked up-----

‘I’m sorry Minato, I’m sorry. Naruto, he, you.” She sobbed. She couldn’t stop. He moved inside of her stilling her a bit.

Minato pulled out of her a little and pushed back in, she felt so good, so wet, so hot. He wanted her to stop crying, he wanted her. He knew she felt bad, was worried and guilty, but he had never wanted anyone like this before. He didn’t want Kushina, he wanted the woman he was inside of right now, the naked woman underneath him, making him feel so fucking good it hurt his heart to think of anyone else but her. “I love you, it will be okay, it will work out somehow.” and he pumped his cock in and out of her moaning into her neck.

She grit her teeth and stared up at the ceiling. It felt wrong. She had wanted to, she had let him kiss her, she had kissed him. She was the one to take his shirt off, she felt terrible. He moved on top of her pushing and pulling at her insides, growing hotter and hotter, she could feel his cock pulsating inside of her. Was he about to? No! Pull out! “Minato, wait.”

He felt the pressure growing in his groin, she was so tight and the walls of her pussy clenched at his cock making him want to fuck her harder, so he did, he pounded into her, small noises and huffs escaped her lips and he sucked on her neck rocking into her over and over till, he felt it and thought, he should stop, do something but he couldn’t think , it was building up inside of him and...he came, cum shot out of his cock deep into her pussy, cum pumping pressure that had been building up released into her, the walls of her pussy contracting around his cock making strangled noise escape his throat until he felt like he couldn’t move anymore, he rested his forehead on hers, sweat on his temples, the weight of his body on his forearms beside her shoulders.

She lay still under him, she could feel his cock twitching and pulsating inside of her, it made her sick. This had been a mistake. Oh Naruto, she wanted to run, to hide but she couldn’t because he was naked on top of her, she was naked under him and his cock was still in her growing smaller but still in her and she didn’t know if she should move or not.

“I love you Sakura. I love you so much, my beautiful Sakura. Did I hurt you, I’m sorry. I promise to be more gentle next time.” He kissed her mouth and laid down next to her cuddling up to her side and fell asleep.

\-----Next time! Hell no!-----

Tears slipped down her cheeks...what had she done?


	8. Chapter 8

“It was a mistake, it will not be happening again Minato.” She said for the fifth time in ten minutes.

“I love you,” He said again.

Why didn’t he understand, he sounded like a damn parrot. It was a mistake, he ought to know that, now that he knew everything. She could understand before maybe , when he didn’t know where, or when she came from, what she was doing there, but now that he knew everything...they never should have slept together.

“Whatever, this is going nowhere, I’m sorry, but I can’t deal with that right now, we have much more important things to worry about. We need to kill Orochimaru, I know you might not understand or feel like there is another way but there isn’t. He does terrible things, is doing them now in fact. He kills and tortures hundreds of thousands if not more people, his own people. He uses them for terrible experiments.” She hoped he wouldn listen, that he would understand. She didn’t want to have to fight him along the way to convince him why she had to do what she did.

“I know, he needs to die. I have been trying to convince Lord Third to take him into custody for years but he won’t. He has a soft spot for his former student and can’t bring himself to take him in. He has been suspect for years, Tsunade and Jiraiya already strongly suspect foul play but the Hokage won’t hear of it.” He said.

“Oh, well then, you aren’t opposed to an assasination?” She was relieved. She hadn’t known that he had been suspect before he fled but then again Tsunade had only told her they accidentally discovered his secret lab.

“Well, no, it is your mission, so it isn’t immoral to go against the Hokage, seeing as your orders were more recent, from the future. You know more than we do what he will, has become.” Minato had thought about it, he understood.

Sakura was beginning to see his attentive logic in a new light now that it wasn't focused solely on her. It was nice. That didn’t mean she wanted to sleep with him again.

\-----Uh yeah you do, but you just know what a terrible idea it is-----

“Shisou told me his lab is under the Hokage tower in the old Anbu interrogation unit, the abandoned part from when the village was first created.”

“That’s ingenious of him actually, the walls are sealed with the chakra of the first and second Hokage, only a very highly skilled shinobi could get by them and reseal them.” Minato thought it over, it would be best if they went at night , there would only be a skeleton watch for the tower then and with both he and sakura they could get in and out with no difficulties.

“Let’s go tonight.” He said and she nodded.

“One more thing, he might have captives, people he kidnapped and is or did do experiments on. We might have some refugees. If Lord Third is against us assassinating Orochimaru, what do we do. I don’t want to lie but I'm not going to stand by and let him become what he is in my own time.” She said

“Are you born yet, no, not yet in what 9 years from now you will be born right?” Minato is counting in his head.

“Yes. That’s when things will get really tricky.” She smiles ruefully. ‘I don’t know if I can be in the same time as another one of my selves. I am trying to get everything taken care of before then and change enough that tragedies do not happen in my time but I know I will have to over lap for one, for you during the Kyuubi attack, unless I can stop Obito”

Minato nods, that makes sense, if they can eliminate the threats before they start then it may create a better chain reaction, or inaction.

“Minato, I don’t know how much you know of Orochimaru now, or what he has learned and experimented on now but do not underestimate him. He is a monster, he holds no value for any life but his own. We can not fail.” She looks at him seriously.

“I understand, we leave when it gets dark.”

She nodded.

_________________

Sakura moved forward and removed the seals of the first Hokage while Minato undid the second’s. He stepped in front of her as they had planned and threaded his chakra throughout the tunnel, they sped down the hallway to a wall, she infused her fist with chakra and he made a shield of wire, one punch and the wall crumbled into the netting and fell to the floor with little sound.

“No signatures present.” He told her and they moved as one, further into the underground maze.

It looked so much like the hideout her and Naruto had gone to look for Sasuke, back when Sai and Yamato were part of team Kakashi. They passed door after door with nothing behind them till they came to an open area with three hallways spidered off of the main room.

Sakura walked up to the table in the middle of the room. There was a body under a sheet , blood dripping off the edge of the table onto the floor. She held her breath and uncovered the body of a...woman? Or was it a dog? Either way it was dead. They moved to the hall on the right, empty, deadend, the middle hall, there was a light at the end, it seemed to open up into another room. She heard his voice before she saw him.

“Orochimaru.” She whispered. They had planned it. She would teleport in first with his formula seal kunai and throw it at a point of her choosing, she would attack, he would flash in and help her if need be.

Teleport...AHHH!....throw…...flash…..”What the HE..lll.lllll.”

Orochimaru lay headless on the floor in front of Sakura. She was trembling looking down at him. She turned her head and threw up. 

“Are you...SHIT!” flash, CUT, flash, Cut, FLASH, FLASH,FLASH.

Bloody bits of snakes fell like chunked rain around her. The mangled corpse of the real Orochimaru lay at her feet in several pieces. She threw up again.

“I need to use my fireball jutsu, I need to burn the place. Can you see if there are any survivors or other living experiments here before I set the place ablaze? I just need a moment.” She wiped her mouth on her sleeve.

“I will be right back.” He said.

Sakura leaned against the wall breathing heavily. The devil lay at her feet. Finally. Sasuke wouldn’t have the curse mark now. Would it be enough to keep him in Konoha? They had to prevent the massacre. Save all the Uchiha and Sasuke. But first, Obito, in the 6 years he will be presumed dead at the battle of Kannabi Bridge but he won’t die, Madara Uchiha will find him before he dies and manipulate him into something terrible,if she can prevent that no one will be around to manipulate Itachi or Danzo and the Uchiha massacre might never happen.

“Sakura, it is all clear. Are you ready? I set my formula all over the lab, I will flash you to each one and you send out a fireball jutsu and then I will flash us home, okay?” She nodded.

They were back at her apartment before the smoke had even made it out of the tunnels into the Hokage’s Tower.

______________

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

She woke with a start sitting bolt upright in bed to Minato answering her door at dawn.

“The Hokage would like to see you and Sakura Sama right away.” The Anbu, Koji, told Minato.

“We will be there as soon as we are dressed.” Minato waved him off.

“You answered my door in your boxers!” She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. They hadn’t slept together, he had slept on the couch but that isn’t what it looked like with her in the bed hair a mess and him answering the door in boxers at 6 am. She wondered if he had done it on purpose...Of Course he had, he was Minato Namikaze, he always had a reason for doing what he did.

She got out of bed finger combing her hair pulling on clothes as she walked to the bathroom. He sat in a chair at her kitchen table and watched her. She came out of her bathroom a minute later with toothbrush in hand and comb in the other, “Did you move my toothpaste?”

He smiled, he could get used to this domesticity, it was really nice. He smiled at her forgetting she had asked him something till her look of inquiry turned to scowl then fierce glare.” uh, it’s in the basket by the sink, sorry, I moved it earlier, it was on the back of the toilet, that’s gross.”

She shrugged and said something about how I was using it there. “You brush your teeth on the toilet?” He burst out laughing and he heard several grunts of mirth from the bathroom before she came out, teeth brushed , hair combed and red faced.

‘I was in a hurry.” She huffed.

“You mastered the God of Thunder technique and are in a hurry? How much faster do you need to get somewhere?’ He teased her.

‘Ugh whatever, this is about the lab do you think? He knows?” She eyed him nervously.

“I think he knows, he would have sent more than one Anbu if he didn’t , he might just want to tell us.”

“Okay, ready?” She said as she walked out the door. He walked out after her.

“Why are we walking?” He grabbed her hand and they flashed to the top of the Hokage tower, then jumped through his window.

“How many times must I ask you to please use the door. When you take over as Hokage Minato you will see just how inconvenient it is.” The Hokage smiled at him.

“Take over as Hokage?” Minato’s eyes went wide.

“I have just named you as my successor. Congratulations Namikaze, you will be the fourth Hokage.” Sarutobi smiled at Minato. “I suppose you already knew that though hum Sakura dear?”

She nodded but didn’t say anything else.

“There was a terrible fire last night under the tower, seems the old ruins of the first and second Hokages prisons and interrogation rooms were destroyed.” He looked up at them both an eyebrow raised, his eyes direct. “ There were several rooms discovered with the remains of strange experiments, human experiments and other odd, torturous lab equipment. Seems some unknown person was doing horrible human experiments right under my nose. A fire broke out killing him though, unfortunate saves us the responsibility and liability of their death.” He looked out the window.

Sakura and Minato didn't look at one another but they understood the Hokage.

Sarutobi turned to them both then,”Thank you, for doing what I could not. Dismissed.”

______________

“I have to go again, travel.” She told Minato as they sat by their waterfall the next night.

‘It has only been a little over a year though. How far ahead are you going this time? How long do I have to wait for you?” He was looking at her like he couldn’t look at her enough.

“Six years.” She hadn’t wanted to tell him but she wouldn’t do that to him, not tell him and make him wait, possibly for the whole 6 years for her to return. She knew now what kind of man he was, and she knew he would wait for her if she told him to. She wanted to, that selfish part of her. What woman wouldn’t want timeless devotion, such unconditional love and adoration. It broke her heart.

“Don’t wait for me Minato. Live your life, find love with someone else. Kushina, Naruto. Forget me.’ She couldn’t look at him. Tears filled her eyes, she didn’t want to see the look on his face. It would break her, and she couldn’t stay.

‘I want you Sakura, I love you. I can go with you, and help you, or we can both stay here and use your knowledge of the future to make things right but on this continuous timeline.” He tried, he tried to think of something anything to make her stay with him.

“I was chosen, not because I am the strongest, or the most talented. Not even because I am intelligent, but because I am loyal. I have a mission, for Konoha, from my Shisou. Minato, don’t ask me to break that trust, she is trusting me to do this, to complete this mission. I won’t let her down.

Minato knew she was right. He couldn’t ask that of her. “Six years isn’t that long if you think about it. I’ll be 23, still young enough for a family, and you’ll be 18, I’ll be marrying a younger woman!” He tried to laugh but he felt like crying, he wouldn’t though, she wouldn’t like that.

‘If I didn’t have this mission, or if I knew Naruto would be born another way, I would stay. But it is impossible.” She had to stop talking it would only make it worse. “You have too much to do here, I know your future remember, you accomplish a lot in the next 6 years Minato. I can’t take you from the Leaf, they will need you. The people I will come back for in 6 years will be your students. Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. I will be back before the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, save them and to help you with the third shinobi war.”

“When, when will you leave? Tomorrow morning early.” She looked at the waterfall, watching the water cascade down the side of the cliff, the mist floating in the moonlight, this truly was her favorite place in Konoha.

“Stay with me tonight, please. If you are leaving in the morning, if you want me to move on. One last night, please.”

“Minato, that’s not a good idea.” She looked at him then. His eyes were silvery blue shining in the moonlight, his hair a darker golden grey streaked here and there with the shadows.

“Okay, one last night. Tomorrow it will be tomorrow for me, but for you it will be 6 years. You’ll have time to move on, but you must promise me, you will try. There are millions of women out there that would love to be with you, find a good one.” She smiled at him, because if she didn’t she might cry.

She didn’t understand, he thought to himself, doesn’t she know how special and how rare of a woman she is. He will try, to cope, to live till the day she is in his arms again. Six years is not forever, he will wait.

‘I promise.” He picked her up in his arms and they flashed back to her apartment.

It was a little awkward at first, their last time had been both of their firsts and had happened kinda by accident. She sat on her bed looking at him and him looking at her, she laughed nervously and he smiled.

“Um, so…” He leaned forward and kissed her, that’s all it took, she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down on top of her and they kissed, tongues gliding over one anothers, hands running up and down each other’s body. A quiet desperation swept over them , it would be the last night for 6 years for him, and forever for her. She really did want him to be happy, to find someone, preferably Kushina though it hurt her heart to think of it. She wanted Naruto to be born. He only wanted her and he would wait a million years if he had to, to see her again.

“Sakura, I love you, I love you so much.” He almost choked on his words as he kissed her neck, hot and desperate, frantic almost.

“Minato, please, touch me.” She nipped at his neck and tugged at his hair. He groaned into her hair and inhaled her scent, he wanted to remember it.

She started untying her shirt and he unbuckled his pants, clothes flew off the bed in their haste to get closer to one another. He laid flat on the bed dragging her on top of him, she straddled him leaning over kissing his lips , her breasts brushing against his chest making him twitch and moan. “You’re so lovely, my flower, my beautiful Sakura.”

His hands gripped her hips pulling her forward, she leaned up a little raised in the air and he slid her back over his cock and up into her, she gasped and moved on top of him, grinding into him lifting up and moving back down, slowly at first then teasingly so.

“You drive me mad with want woman.” and he flipped her over pinning her arms at her side as he pushed deeper into her faster and harder, she lifted her legs up, yanked her arms out of his grasp and hooked them under her knees bringing her ass up for him to go deeper. She threw her head back, hair flying to the side as he hit a sensitive spot and he leaned all his weight into her pushing and moving, filling her up.

“So close, Minato, please, so close, don’t stop...please.” He leaned hard into her, bending her over kissing her mouth , her breast, he turned his head and bit the side of her thigh and she screamed out in pleasure.

“Fuck, Sakura, fuck, so tight love, so hot.” He was going to come, he felt her tighten around him, “Come Sakura, come, let me come in you.”

“No, wait.” But it was too late, he was pumping into her again, spasming , twitching, so hard it almost hurt, she gripped her legs tightly to her and screamed his name as she came.

He dropped down beside her and gathered her into his arms, pressing her hard to his chest hugging he close, kissing her mouth, her neck. “I love you, I love you so much.”

She cried then, she couldn’t hold her tears back anymore. She cried because she knew she couldn’t stay. She wanted to though.

\-----It is your own fault. You let him in, and now not only you are hurting, you hurt him too.-----

She held him close and stroked his hair. He kissed her neck and rubbed his cheek against hers. He whispered in her ear words she couldn’t hear, and she made him promises in her head, she could never keep. She loved him.

She woke before dawn, he hadn’t slept yet. He had stayed up after she had fallen asleep and watched her memorizing her face, her hair and her smell. Six years was not forever, but it was a very long time when you loved someone like he loved her.

“Minato.” She kissed him and stepped back, they were in the forest by their waterfall, the bag on her back. “ I will see you again in six years in Iwa. Your team will have a mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge, the main supply line to Iwa. The mission will be the first one led by newly promoted Hatake Kakashi, my former Sensei. A lot will go wrong on this mission, I will arrive two days before your team succeeds in destroying the bridge, then I will head to the front lines with you and help end the war. We can use the Flying Thunder God Mutually Instantaneous Revolving Technique, which will allow us to switch places with each other in combat to set-up different manoeuvres.” She kissed him again and turned away when he grabbed her and pressed her to him kissing her more thoroughly. She melted into his embrace pushing him up against a tree and moaning into his mouth. He ran his hands through her hair and his tongue over her lips biting her bottom lip before releasing her.

“See you in six years, my flower.” He smiled at her, almost painfully.

“Don’t wait for me Minato.” She looked at him, pain in her eyes.

She pulled out her time travel scroll as the Third Hokage stepped out of the trees. She smiled as he waved to her, she made the hand signs one handed and released her seal on her forehead to full this time, black lines shot down her face and over her body and she disappeared.

“So, have a good night?” The hokage asked Minato.

“Six years, It will be six years till I see her again.”

“She was never supposed to be here Minato, do as she asks, move on.”

“She was here, she was meant to be here, everything happens for a reason Lord Third. Why else would she come back in time to save us all?” Minato knew he was right but he wasn’t looking forward to waiting six years to tell her, he told her so.


	9. Chapter 9

She was falling. Where was the cliff the waterfall flowed over? She was low on chakra, she was in pain and out of breath, she wasn’t going to make it. A flash of silver, they drop to the ground and she rolls out of his arms. 

“Ugh.” She moans, pain so much pain. Her head hurts and she’s dizzy. “Ugh, I’m gonna puke.”

“State your business.” There is a kunai to her throat. She looks up to see a smallish boy around 11 years old glaring at her holding a kunai to her throat.

“Kakashi?’ She croaks out, shit. Why that little brat holding a kunai to her throat.

“Kakashi! Put that away please, she is a Konoha Nin.” Minato flashed out from behind their tree. “Sakura.” He helps her sit up and hugs her to him. ‘I have missed you.” He kisses her gently on the lips and hugged her again.

“Sensei? Who is that woman?” A short brown haired girl asks from behind him.

“This Rin, is my future wife, Sakura.” He smiled down at Sakura.

‘I am not! I told you to find someone else, tell me you didn’t wait for me Minato.” She didn’t know if she was mad or flattered but she didn’t like how he was telling his team she was his future wife. “You can’t just tell people I’m your future wife, for one you haven’t even asked me yet, and I just got back.” she waved her hands around.

“Smooth Sensei, real smooth.” A spiky haired boy with goggles on says smirking.

“Obito!” Sakura shouts, shit, she has to stop doing that!

\-----Fucking idiot, what’s wrong with you!-----

“Uh yeah? Do you know me?” He cocks his head to the side and looks at her curiously.

“Ah, Minato , told me, he wrote to me on my long term mission, told me all about you three.” She got out, without stuttering...almost.

Kakashi was eyeing her narrowly, a look she knew to mean he didn’t trust her at all or believe anything she said. She laughed at him and he narrowed his eyes further at her. She ruffled the hair on his head and gave him an eye crinkle. He was sooo cute as a kid , even if he looked like a sour puss.

“Hey! Cut it out woman, don’t touch me!” Kakashi snapped at her pulling another kunai which she whipped out of his hand and threw it into the tree behind him in one fluid motion.

“You’re so cute!” she ruffled his hair again. Rin and Obitos chuckled and received death looks of their own from Kakashi.

“Sakura, allow me to take you home, so you can rest. Your trip as I recall takes a lot out of you.” He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since she had fallen out of Kakashi’s arms.

“Thanks for catching me Kakashi.” She smiled at him, he glared at her.

“I would prefer you address me as Hatake San, it is inappropriate for you to speak to me with such familiarity.”

She burst out laughing bending over and tears coming to her eyes, “ Oh Kakashi, hahahah, you’re too cute!” She went to ruffle his hair again and he jumped high into a tree and bounded off before she could touch him. She continued to laugh until the girl came up to her and shyly introduced herself as Rin Nohara.

“I am pleased to meet you Rin Chan.’ Sakura looked the girl over, so this is the girl that loved Kakashi and Obito was jealous over. Pretty little thing.

‘It was nice to meet you, sorry for dropping in out of nowhere. I look forward to talking with you more but I admit I am a little tired.” Sakura looked at Minato and he nodded to his students and took her by the waist, “Let’s go home Sakura.” They flashed away.

“Wow, I have never seen Sensei look at anyone like he looks at her, who is she do you know Obito?” Rin asked her teammate.

He shook his head, “No, but she was beautiful, not as beautiful as you Rin but yeah she was pretty, Sensei seemed to really like her. Do you think they will get married?”

“There is something about that woman, there is more to her than we can see.” Kakashi had dropped back down next to his teammates and was looking off in the direction he knew his sensei and the woman had flashed.

“Do you hate everyone? You’re such an asshole Kakashi, she seemed really nice.” Obito was glaring at Kakashi and rolling his eyes.

“Not everyone.” and Kakashi jumped to the trees again running at top speed off into the forest.

____________

They appeared in the middle of an open room but it wasn’t the apartment she remembered. It looked like a house. She pulled away from Minato and looked around. They were in a living room lined with windows and a walkway around the house outside, like a wrap around porch. There was a kitchen open to the room and sofas, chairs, kitchen table chairs, a TV and house plants. It was very nice.

“Minato, where are we?’ She asked him looking around.

“Our house, I bought it a few months ago so it would be ready when you came back.” He took her hand and led her out of the living room to show her the open floor bath tub and dual sinks, open shower and heated flooring, their bedroom with a soft double futon raised from the floor with a two step inlay. There was a small balcony off the bedroom overlooking one of the cliffs of the Hokage’s. It was a beautiful home but, what did he mean their home.

“Minato, I told you to move on, to find someone else. You can’t just, this is, I’m not going to marry you, I can’t!” This wasn’t supposed to happen, she couldn’t handle this guilt. It had been 6 years for him, he had waited 6 years for her? Bought her a house? Wanted to marry her? Did he not understand she would have to go back to her own time? There were people there, other people she loved...Sasuke.

“Sakura, please listen to me. I have had six years to think about this. I know it was only yesterday for you. Please, let’s sit down , let me explain to you why I feel this way, and why I know I will never change my mind. I can’t love anyone but you.” He took her hand and led her to the couch and sat down beside her. He was staring at her he knew, but he couldn’t help it. It had been six years for him. She was even more beautiful than he had remembered.

“I didn’t have a picture of you, nothing to remember you by but my memories and your Anbu sword. I tried to move on Sakura. I went on a few dates after a time, after you left. It didn’t feel right. They were charming beautiful women but, they weren’t you. I even asked Kushina out for dinner. She had said yes and it was nice, we talked, I enjoyed her company but...again, she wasn't you. I know in your time, I married her, had Naruto but your time is no more. Do you see? Everything happens for a reason. You came back in time to change things for the better, right?”

She nodded her head.

“Did you ever stop to think this, us, is for the better? I have spent the last six years going over everything you told me. Kushina is the Jinchiriki, but if we don’t get married, if she doesn’t weaken the seal with pregnancy, Obito won’t be able to pull the Nine tails from her, I won’t be forced to use the reaper death seal and die. We can be together, here, now. Us being together won’t change anything for the bad, in fact I sincerely believe it will be for the good.”

Sakura thought about what he had said, she sat still letting it sink in. He waited, she needed a bit of time, after all he had thought about it, thought, and then re thought again over the years.

“Okay. I need to save Obito from being manipulated by Madara Uchiha still, stop the Uchiha massacre and kill Danzo Shimura. Has Tsunade left Konoha with Shizune yet? I know they leave this year but I am not sure when.”

“They left three days ago. It is still amazing how much you know.” He kisses her on the forehead. “How is your seal, it isn’t leaking but you seem a bit weaker if you don’t mind my saying.”

She looked at him now, some of the shock and the dizziness of travel wearing off. He looked almost the same, a few years older but really he was still only 23. He was taller, just a little and a little more filled out, he looked more like a man now than a boy. She became self conscious, she was still 18, did she still look like a girl to him or a woman.

“I’m a bit tired but I’m ok, it was a surprise seeing Kakashi right after I came, he doesn’t trust me and already suspects me, I can tell by his eyes.”

Minato laughed, “Yes, I saw that too. You really do know him well don’t you. Was he a good sensei?”

“Terrible! He ignored me, focused on Sasuke and Naruto, didn’t train me at all. But he cared and was there for me soo, I forgave him. He didn’t see any talent in me.” She shrugged. “I used to be very weak.”

“Sasuke was your teammate with Naruto, I understand. You aren’t weak anymore. Sakura, think about what I said okay. I waited six years, I can wait a little more but I won’t change my mind and more than I can change my heart. I love you.”

She nodded and hugged him.

‘The war, the third war is still going on I assume?” She asked him

“Yes, unfortunately.”

‘Let’s end it. Have you received your mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge yet?” She asked him thinking a mile a minute.

“Not yet no.”

“Let’s go, I need to check in with the Hokage anyway.” She was up and headed for the door already.

“Sakura, you just got back, don’t you want to rest, I can tell your chakra isn’t at it's full capacity yet.” He started to say when she grabbed him by the arm and they flashed to the top of the Hokage tower.

“I missed you so much, you are the only one alive besides me that can do the Flying Thunder God technique” He hugged her and kissed her. They jumped into the office through the window.

“Damn it Sakura, Minato, I have had six years of peace, six years of no one jumping through my window and the day you get back , here you are...Minato doesn’t do this when you aren’t here.” Lord Third smiled at her. “Welcome home Sakura.”

“Lord Third, thank you, um, sorry about the window I will try to remember for next time.”

“Thank you. What do I owe the pleasure, did you just stop by to brighten my day and say you have returned or?” He smiled at her again.

“I wish to be added to the mission to take out the Kannabi bridge that is sure to be coming soon, please, and then I would request that Minato and I be sent to the front lines to end this war and start the 20 year period of peace before the 4th great ninja war begins, which, I hope to prevent by my actions at the Kannabi Bridge and on the front lines today.” She bows respectfully.

“I assume this is your mission’s final stages?” Lord Third asks her.

“Unless I fail, which is not an option, so I won’t.”

“Minato, gather your team, you have a mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge in order to stop supply lines to Iwa troops on the other side. Then you and Sakura are to head to the frontlines and...end this war. Uh, if I may dear, how do you plan on doing that?” The Hokage asks her tenting his fingers on his desk in front of him.

“ Flying Thunder God Mutually Instantaneous Revolving Technique, of course.” And she smiled brightly at Minato who smiles back.

“Of Course. When would you like to leave?” The Hokage smiles at her again.

“Two days if that is okay? I need to replenish my supplies and get a few things before we leave, like a new katana.” She smiles at him.

“I will send your scroll by Anbu this evening. Good luck, both of you.” They bowed and flashed home.

_______________  
“Move over, I can’t see anything!’ Obito shoved Kakashi’s spiky hair out of his face for the tenth time.

“Nothing is happening moron, they are just sitting there eating dango and drinking tea. This is stupid, I’m leaving.” Kakashi walked away from the alley by the dango stand leaving Rin and Obito to spy on their sensei and his “new friend”.

“Look at her clothes, where did she get such clothes, they are beautiful, traditional but functional.” Rin admired Sakura’s black kunoichi kimono with matching capris and her white obi with a black sash.

“She dresses like an Uchiha but has hair like a distant Uzumaki. I wonder if she is strong.” Obito continues to watch their sensei.

Minato and Sakura sat at the dango stand they used to go to six years ago and drank tea and ate dango catching up. Sakura smiled every now and then as he updated her on all the things that had happened while she was gone, such as the war and how it flowed into the next war, his genin team, how Kakashi made jounin.

A cry rang out in the market not far from them, a merchant cart had fallen over and a child had been pinned. People ran from stands nearby to help but the boy’s leg was all but crushed. Sakura made her way to the accident and sent chakra to her hands and arms lifting the cart and setting it upright, she dropped to her knees by the crying boy and his frantic mother.

“I’m a doctor, I can help. I know it hurts honey, just hold on.” Sakura‘s hands glowed with healing chakra as she placed them over the boy’s leg and began sending soothing waves through his limb as she knit bone, muscle and skin back together. A few moments later his leg looked like new, there wasn’t even a scar.

“Amazing, that was, incredible, thank you. Thank you so much My Lady.” The boy’s mother bowed to Sakura.

“It was my pleasure, no need for thanks or the title, please, just call me Sakura. I am glad I was able to help.” Sakura smiled at the boy and patted him on the head and bowed to the woman. Minato smiling beside her.

She waved at the boy once more as he and his mother made their way back down the street. People were staring and whispering, Tsunade’s name could be heard among the crowd. Kakashi dropped from the roof over head and was giving Sakura a strange look.

“You healed him, there was no scar.” He practically accused her, as if she had done something terrible.

“I did yes.” She smiled at him and he narrowed his eyes and jumped back from her before she could ruffle his hair. Her smile grew.

“Since we are all here, Rin, Obito, come out now I would like to speak with you.” Minato called to the two hiding in the alley.

“We have a mission, Kakashi will lead the mission to destroy the Kannabi bridge, and Sakura and I will head to the front lines. We leave in two days. Meet by the gate at dawn.”

“Lady Sakura will be joining you sensei?” Rin asked curiously looking at Sakura.

“Please Rin Chan, just Sakura, calling me Lady seems like I’m an Old Lady, and yes, I will be joining your sensei.” Sakura took Minato’s hand and smiled at them. Maybe this could work.

It was Kakashi who spoke next.” Sensei doesn’t need your help, he is the yellow flash of konoha.”

“Sakura is the pink flash of konoha.” Minato winked at Kakashi and Rin’s eyes grew wide.

“You mean, she, she knows the Flying Thunder God Technique too?” Obito burst out astonished, Kakashi narrowed his eyes even further if it was possible.

“Yes she does. She knows a lot of techniques. Never underestimate your opponent, it might be the death of you or a teammate.” Minato patted Obito on the head.

Sakura laughed and smiled at the three young nin. Rin in particular was looking at Sakura with interest. “Did you have a question Rin Chan?” 

“You’re a medic nin, can you, can you teach me? I know a little, basic things, but I want to learn more. I want to be like Lady Tsunade! She left though and she probably won’t be coming back.” Rin looked at Sakura with a look Sakura knew all too well. Rin wanted to prove she wasn’t weak.

“Let’s get through this war first and go from there. I have a few things to do, but I won't say no, but it isn’t a yes , yet.” She smiled kindly at the girl and Rin bounced on her heels smiling at Sakura.

“So you know all sorts of techniques and you’re a healer...that is soooo cool! No wonder you’re trying to con her into marrying you sensei!” Obito was grinning like a goof at Minato who only smiled and hugged Sakura close.

“Uh, if you’ll excuse me, I need to buy a new katana and a few herbs.” Sakura smiled once more at the kids and started to move away when Minato wrapped his arm around her waist and stepped into pace next to her.

“I’ll go with you.” He smiled down at her and she smiled back. It was nice, to have him there.

\-----Do you really think it will work, there is still so much to do, he makes sense but don’t forget, you will be born in 3 years. What happens then?-----

Sakura bit her lip, what indeed. She couldn’t worry about that yet though, she had to focus on the now and right now she needed a sword.

Sakura looked at the kitchen table, she had her new sword, a beautiful one with a cut out blood grove just the way she liked, 6 senbon, the herbs to make the poisons to dip them in, new kunai, wire and paper bombs. Minato was on the other end of the table writing formulas on tags for her and sharpening his own three prong kunai with his formula on them.

He would seal each one in a storage scroll as he finished, he must have sharpened thousands already, it was getting late. A neat stack of Sakura’s formulas sat to his right, he leaned back to stretch his arms and yawn widely. He leaned forward on the table his chin resting on his hands, his elbows on the table watching her. It was nice to have her home, in their house, hopefully to stay this time. She was biting her lip in concentration, going over her herbs they had purchased in the market. So beautiful but so deadly. He got up to make a pot of tea for them, walking behind her he stopped to kiss her lightly on the head.

“I think I should make both paralyzing and coma inducing poisons, what do you think Minato?” She asked him without looking up.

“You don’t want to kill them?” Most nin wouldn’t think twice about using deadly poisons, it was expected actually, she was unusual, and he loved that about her.

“That’s what my katana is for, and my fists. I think I will make both, you never know, it is best to be prepared. I think I will coat my kunai with a fear inducing toxin, it invades the psyche and will destabilize the enemy but it isn’t permanent.” She was humming to herself in a joy like manner and he laughed. She looked up at him then.

“What?” She asked innocently which made him laugh even more.

“You are so beautiful and sweet that sometimes I forget how very deadly and ruthless you can be. I love you, you’re perfect, so perfect.” he kissed her neck running his fingers down her head and through her long pink hair. She smiled and leaned into his touch letting him kiss her neck lower and over her shoulder.

“I want to end this war fast so I can plan my next move. The sooner I bring peace the sooner I can breath again.” She sighed, she really wanted this mission to be over.

Minato went to the kitchen and put water in the kettle and set it to boil. When the war was over, would she leave again? She would be born in three years, would she leave in three years? He shook his head. It didn’t matter, he would enjoy the time he had with her while he could.

A few hours later, her senbon dipped and dried and ready in her wrist bands, katana checked and sheathed, bag of medical supplies packed and ready, soldier pills and chakra suppressants ready, and her usual nin pack...she was all set, she just need a few more formula tags, make that a few thousand more then she was done. She looked over to where Minato had settled on the couch. Their couch as he kept calling everything in the house. He was a good man. She wanted to stay with him. She had been thinking of what he had said, how everything happens for a reason, how Kushina wouldn’t be pregnant and Obito wouldn’t be able to pull the Nine tails from her weakened state if she never had Naruto, but that’s the thing. To Minato Naruto was a possibility, to Sakura he was her best friend who she had known all her life, bled, cried with, chased Sasuke all over the world with. She shook her head. Focus Sakura.


	10. Chapter 10

They finished around midnight. She leaned back in her chair stretching and twisting from side to side. Hands came to rest on her shoulders massaging her tight muscles, kissing her neck. She hummed in content as his hands worked the tension out of her neck and shoulders, moving lower to her middle back.

“Want to move to our couch, I can do your lower back for you.” She nodded and got up from the chair to lay down on the couch and hummed again as his hands found her back moving lower, strong and warm. 

“Hmmm Minato, thank you, that feels wonderful, so good.” She closes her eyes and turns her head to the side and enjoys the feel of his hands on her. She starts to fall asleep under his massaging hands relaxing into the couch. He lifts her up and carries her into their bedroom laying her on the bed.

She snuggles into the bedding just like he remembers her doing years ago, rootling and making herself comfortable, she is so adorable. He knows that she will want to leave again and he knows he has to convince her to stay somehow. He had spent the last six years in war and training, doing missions but she had always been on his mind. He would think of her when he was cold ,rolled up in his camp bedding waiting for the morning to come on his solo missions. She was always in his dreams, he would wake to find he had come in his sleep with the sheer wanting of her, his shame spilled over his belly. The last time she had left, she had left a hole in his chest where his heart should have been.

Minato was not the kind of man to fall in love and learn to let it go. He hadn't found anyone else, he had tried but he couldn’t, and seeing her again, having her here with him holding her in his arms, he knew he had to convince her to stay,

There were reasons he knew, she had a life, a family in her time but it sounded like most of them had perished in the last war. It might actually be good for her to stay here with him. If he was being fair though it might be worse. She would see all the faces of those who had died around her alive and well every day and perhaps feel like a ghost.

She had mentioned before, Sasuke Uchiha. He had heard her in her sleep, he had died and she felt responsible. She had said she loved him, said he loved her. Did she have someone to go back to, was there someone waiting for her in her time as he was waiting for her in his?

He lay there beside her thinking about all of the what ifs and maybes, and he realized he wasn't as confident as he thought he was. 

The battle at Kannabi bridge was two days away, he had complete faith they could end the war together, something he couldn’t do alone but with her there by his side using the Flying Thunder God Mutually Revolving Instantaneous technique, he knew it would be easy, and fun. If he was honest he was actually looking forward to it.

Most shinobi in Konoha respected him , admired him but few really knew or understood the pleasure he felt while killing. It was a rush, like a drug, and he was damn good at it. She knew, she understood, he had seen it in her eyes, the craving, the blood lust, the pleasure that came from seeing the fear...in their eyes. They were alike, he knew, there was no one better suited for him than her.

She moved in her sleep a small mewl of need escaping her lips. Her eyes opened and found his. He leans over her taking her into his arms and kissed her hard, he had missed this. He bites her tongue and slides his over her teeth as she runs her nails up and down his back.

He purrs into her ear, “did you miss this? I missed it, I missed the feel of your naked body on mine,” He tugs her obi loose and throws it behind him, “I missed the taste of your mouth when I push my tongue through your teeth and run it along the roof,” He unties the inner tie to her kimono and spreads the fabric apart revealing her chest wraps,” I missed your breasts filling my hands, feeling your nipple harden against my palm when I bite your neck,” Her pants are pushed down to her ankles and she kicks them off, he kisses a trail of wetness down her chest to her belly and slides, lower and lower, he slides his tongue over her pussy inhaling her scent and biting her thigh,” I have missed the way you smell when you want me, do you want me Sakura, tell me you want me, tell me you want me inside of you, beg me, it has been so long, I want you to beg me , like I have begged you so many times over the years when I sleep alone craving your touch.”

He rose up off of her then slamming his lips to hers, biting and licking her mouth in a mad frenzy. He took her hand and angled himself up, wrapping her hand around his hard cock. 

“See what you do to me woman, you drive me insane with lust, I want no other, only you forever. 

____________

She woke the next morning to the sound of rain falling hard on the roof. It was early so she lay in bed listening to the rain with her eyes closed smiling. She had always loved the sound of water, the ocean, the rain, waterfalls. Minato came into the room with two cups of coffee then and sat beside her on the bed.

“Good morning beautiful.” He passed her a cup of steaming black and she took it with a smile of thanks. This was nice she thought. They sat quietly together listening to the rain and sipping their coffee. “What would you like to do today? I think we are all set for the mission, unless there is anything else you can think of?”

She continues to sip her coffee while she thinks, no they did a good job preparing, there is just one last thing they need to do. “I would like us to practice the Thunder God Mutually Instantaneous Revolving Technique, today using one another’s formulas. I think it would be a good idea for me at least to make sure I can do it.”

He nods, that is a good idea. They make their way to the training grounds. She takes some of her formula tags and starts putting them in random spots over the field. Some on the ground, some in trees, one strung across one tree to another waving in the breeze. It had stopped raining but the ground was muddy and she thought it was a good thing , in case it was muddy during the confrontation. When she had finished Minato stood in the middle of the field and threw formula engraved kunai one after the other randomly outward from his body. He could use his chakra to engrave it on trees but he didn’t want it permanent, this was just for practice after all.

He could tell she was just as excited as he was to try this out. If they could do this and he didn’t see any reason they couldn’t, it was literally a war winner. With their massive amounts of combined chakra, they could take out massive armies all on their own. They were making history and she knew it. Was this her way of telling him she was more willing to change things, that she hadn’t originally planned on? When she first arrived she was dead set on not changing anything that didn’t absolutely need to be changed, but now...she was entering the war. Except, she wasn't just entering the war to help, she was teaming up with him to perform a jutsu the world had never seen. She would be a part of history. She knew what she was doing. Like him, she never did anything without a reason.

They stood back to back in the middle of the field. “We have company.” She said with a smile clear in her voice.

“More than a few.” He laughed , she could feel his laughter vibrating through her back.

“Let’s give them a good show then?” She wiggled her butt against his.

“After you love.” and they were off.

They had attached little bells to each tag and kunai, all you saw was flash yellow, flash pink, then yellow then pink, ring, ring, pink, flash of yellow, ring, ring.

…..and then it was over almost as quickly as it had started.

Applause erupted from the sidelines...Lord Third smiled at them. “I would expect nothing less from either of you but still, that was amazing.”

“Let me check your chakra levels,” She raised a glowing hand to Minato, “Nice, only down ten percent.” Then she checked hers and smiled and winked at him, “Ha! 7 percent down!”

“Sensei! Sakura chan! THAT WAS SOOOO COOOOOOL!” Obito and Rin were running to them from the side of the field. Kakashi walked at a normal pace looking a little pinched in the eyes.

“What are you planning.” Kakashi asked.

“We are going to end the war.” Sakura told him.

Kakashi glared at her, “Hmm.”

Sakura gave them each three tags, “Keep these on you, in case I need to flash to you during the missions okay?” Rin and Obito thanked her, Kakashi shoved his in his pocket saying he didn’t need it.

“Kakashi,” Sakura bent to him a little so she could make eye contact,” If you get injured, if something happens to prevent you from fighting at one hundred percent, or makes it so you can’t...see or something, you need to flare your chakra, do you understand?”

“Flare my chakra?” He gave her a questioning look.

“Yes, send your chakra out like a beacon, or a flare, you saw in the market, that boy , how I healed him? I will come to you. I have infused all my tags with my chakra, I will come to you, ok?” She gave him a serious look.

“Whatever.” He started walking away but she called him back.

“Well Minato, Sakura, good luck. I will await your return.” The Hokage waved goodbye and left., leaving Sakura and Minato alone on the field.

Minato stood there for a moment looking at her, she wasn’t sure what he was doing so she just stood there and watched him till he decided to do whatever he was going to do.

“Sakura, I know that you have a mission and you’re from another time but I want you to stay in this time with me. Please. I got you this. You don’t have to wear it right now, or answer me. I just want you to know how serious I am. I will only ever want you as my wife.” He opened the small box and drew out a small ring. It was inscribed with both of their formulas in tiny characters on either side of an emerald the color of her eyes. He took her hand and placed it in her palm. “Just hold onto it for now, even if you eventually tell me no, I still want you to have it.”

She stood there looking at the ring in her hand. “Minato.” What was she supposed to say...she thought she loved him but she didn’t know if she would be able to stay in this time after she was born. Would she , if she could? “Minato.” She said again and looked up at him. He had been watching her bite her lip, thinking.

“I love you, everytime you travel it is like, like I am dead, and then when you return, life returns to me and my blood can flow again. If, this next time, you go back to your time for good, I want to go with you. Let me take the risk. I don’t want you to lose the loved ones you left behind for your mission. Let me go with you, if you can’t stay here with me.”

He was serious.

\-----He is serious-----

“Minato.” She looked down at the ring in her hand and then back up to him.”I don’t know.”

“Do you love me?”

“I don’t know.” She didn’t know, she thought she might, she knew she could, but...she would leave and could he really go with her? She didn’t know.

___________

The morning of their mission came and they were all gathered outside the gates of Konoha. Sakura had mixed feelings as the group set out that day. She listened to Kakashi and Obito bicker back and forth and thought of Naruto and Sasuke, she watched Rin try to calm them both down and when that failed she yelled at them both and hit them in the back of the head. Minato would brush his hand against hers every once in a while and smile at her. To her horror she would smile and blush nearly every time.

They had reached the Village Hidden in the Grass outskirts by the Kannabi Bridge and split up. Kakashi , Obito and Rin went to destroy the Kannabi bridge and Minato and Sakura went to the front lines. 

Sakura had told Minato what would happen but she didn’t know exactly when or where in their mission the kids would be attacked or when Kakashi would lose his eye and Obito get smashed by a rock, so she had enlisted the help of Rin. She had given Rin 25 of her formula tags and asked her to drop them every ten mins until they got attacked but to keep at least one on her. Rin had agreed when Sakura told her she had a hunch something was going to happen to them and wanted to be able to flash to them and help.

Sakura was sending out her chakra strings feeling the air and tracking the kids as they went. Minato, genius that he didn't need to send out chakra strings, he could just sense them with his natural abilities and knew where they were. Minato and Sakura were waiting where they split up till the kids needed them, Sakura’s mission was to save Kakashi’s eye, and save Obito from becoming the tyrant mass murdered of her time.

Surprisingly, they didn’t have to wait long. She felt a surge of Kakashi’s chakra to the north and she flashed to him. He was on the ground , two enemy nin closing in on him and obito, Rin was tied to a post in a genjutsu. Minato throws kunai with his formula and flashed around the small cave taking them out and untying Rin, while Sakura heals Kakashi’s eye and Obito’s broken ribs and bruised sides. They flash the kids to the front lines with them.

“Kakashi, are you ok?” Sakura is hugging him to her petting his hair.

“I’m fine...thank you. I could have handled it but, we were both down and Rin.”

“She’s fine, I released the genjutsu on her, Obito and you are both healed.” Sakura let him go and stood up beside Minato. She knew that kids went to war, had heard the stories. Seeing kid Kakashi and his squad , who were younger than Team 7 almost get killed by two adult experienced shinobi was too much.

She looked at the men around her and at Minato. “I want blood, and I want it to be theirs!”

Minato laid out storage scroll after storage scroll of his signature kunai and told the ment o start throwing them, all of them at the enemies, as many as they could all over the place. He had Kakashi throw Rin in the air with a stack of Sakura’s formula tags and throw them into the wind and scatter them across the battlefield.

“What do you think you’re doing?” A low level nin said beside them but was stopped by a man who knew Minato.

“Just do as they say, you’re about to see something amazing.” and he crossed his arms over his chest to watch.

“Ready Love?” Minato kissed her, “I’m ready Minato.” She kissed him back and then….

A flash of pink, boom! A flash of yellow! Crack! Pink! Yellow! Flash! Flash! A scream in the smoke, and a flash of Pink.

“Thunder God Slash!” Sakura can be heard screaming over the cries of death left in thier wake.

“Flying Thunder God Guiding Thunder!” Minato was heard yelling and several weapons dropped at their feet.

A flash of yellow and pink, laughter and screams of pain, clouds of dust rent the air as if out of nowhere, a streak of pink then yellow. Then they flashed back to where they had started, covered in blood smiling like fiends.

“Fucking hell you two are scary...amazing but scary.” Kakashi ‘s eyes were wide.  
Sakura grabbed Minato by the front of his flak vest and kissed him hard enough to bruise both of their lips, “I love you. Yes. I’ll marry you.”

Epilogue:

Minato and Sakura get married and have three kids. Kushina marries and has two kids, the eldest becomes the new Leaf Nine tails Jinchuriki after she “retires”. Obito and Rin get married. Obito and Kakashin become really close best friends. Kakashi never married but reads lots of porn in trees. Lord Third steps down and Minato became Hokage. Sakura runs the Konoha Hospital as chief of staff and head surgeon. Her kids grow up with the original Rookie 9 and Kakashi is the Eldest’s Sensei.

Sakura assassinated Danzo and convinces Shisui to use his Kotoamatsukami, to convince the Uchiha they have always been happy and are an intricate part of Konoha. Minato give the Uchiha clan a special memorial plaque for their services a precedent for other clans to follow. Itachi and Sasuke grow up happy and become two of the strongest shinobi in Konoha. Sasuke forms a crush for Sakura much to the annoyance of Minato but Sakura thinks it is funny.

The future is bright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I belatedly realized I never explained why Sakura didn't disappear like Tsunade did when going back in the past and crossing the preexisting time line. I would like to think that since Sakura has so much more chakra as an adult, it over compensated the meager chakra of the would be baby sakura and that the later fizzled out instead of the stronger chakra force of the older Sakura.


End file.
